Switzerland 1886 20 francs
This specimen was lot 23276 in Stack's Bowers ANA Auction (Denver, CO, August 2017), where it sold for $282. The catalog description[1] noted, "SWITZERLAND. 20 Franc, 1886. NGC MS-62. Yellow golden patina with lustrous fields." This Swiss twenty francs conforms to the standard of the Latin Monetary Union, where twenty francs = 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold. Switzerland continued to use this standard even after France, its originator, abandoned it after World War One. This type was struck 1886-96; an earlier issue (KM 31.1) of 1883 had a reeded edge. This date lacks the "B" mintmark which appears on 1888 and later issues.
Recorded mintage: 250,000, a common date.
Specification: 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold, .186 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: KM-31.3; Fr-495; HMZ-2-1194b; Divo-292.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Divo, Jean-Paul, and Edwin Tobler, Die Münzen der Schweiz, im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert, Zürich: Bank Leu & Co AG, 1969.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Richter, Jürg, and Ruedi Kunzmann, Neuer HMZ-Katalog, Band 2: Die Münzen der Schweiz und Liechtensteins 15//16. Jahrhundert bis Gegenwart, Regenstauf, Germany: H. Gietl Verlag GmbH, 2006.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, The August 2017 Denver ANA Auction: Ancients, Selections from The Richard Stuart Collection & World Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.
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