Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872, Coin from Switzerland - detailed information

Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872, Coin from Switzerland (demonetised 1886)
CoinFive Centimes (Rappen) 1872

The Five Centimes coin is currently the smallest circulating denomination of the Swiss Franc, after the One Centime and Two Centimes denominations were demonetised in 2007 and 1978 respectively. Given that Switzerland has four official languages, the sub-unit of the Franc has four different names; it is centime (c.) in French, Rappen (Rp.) in German, centesimo (ct.) in Italian and rap (rp.) in Romansh. Some English-language catalogues call the coin a "5 Rappen" coin, but the English-language publications of the Swiss National Bank and Swissmint prefer the word "5 centimes".

Coins of the 5 centime (Rappen) denomination went through several transformations in their history. This first version of the coin was designed by Carl Friedrich Voigt of the Munich Mint (then Royal Bavarian Mint). On the obverse it features the Swiss Coat of Arms (a rendering quite different from that on the One Centime and Two Centimes denominations released at the same time but designed by Alexander Hutter), on two sheaves of wheat. The reverse shows the value (only a numeral, no text) within a wreath of grape leaves and grapes. This original reverse has remained unchanged and is still used on current coins.

This version was lighter (1.67 grams) and made of billon (an alloy with a very low quantity of silver), the composition of which varied through the years; the 1872 and 1873 issues were 5% silver, 85% copper, 5% zinc and 5% nickel. For the first two years of its existence, the denomination was struck by the Strasbourg Mint (at that time a branch of the Paris Mint); thereafter it has been issued by the Bern Mint (now Swissmint).

Coins of his type were issued until 1877; in 1879, the obverse was changed to a design by Karl Schwenzer featuring the effigy of Libertas; the metal was changed to copper-nickel and the coin became slightly heavier (2 grams).

The first version was demonetised on 30th June 1886; thus, coins issued in 1872 circulated for 14 years.

MintSwissmint Mint MarkLetter B Total Mintage 1,212,000 (1.2 million)
Obverse
Switzerland / Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872 - obverse photo

The obverse features the Swiss Coat of Arms (a rendering quite different from that on the One Centime and Two Centimes denominations released at the same time but designed by Alexander Hutter), on two sheaves of wheat. Around above is the legend HELVETIA. Around below, the date: 1872.

Obverse Inscription HELVETIA 1872
Reverse
Switzerland / Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872 - reverse photo

The reverse shows the value 5 (only a numeral, no text) within a wreath of grape leaves and grapes. This original reverse has remained unchanged since 1850 to present.

The mint mark B of the Bern Mint (later known as Federal Mint of Switzerland, now Swissmint) is under the ribbon tying the wreath.

Reverse Inscription 5
EdgePlainEdge InscriptionNone
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872: References to Information Used
SourceEditionAboutLinkNotes
Swissmint 2017 Mint link
Swissmint 2017 Mintage link
Showing 100 from a total of 143 coins of type: Five Centimes (Rappen)
Coin NameMintageSymbolLegend
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1850 7,970,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1850
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1851 12,042,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1851
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872 1,212,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1872
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1873 1,622,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1873
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1874 1,700,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1874
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1876 990,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1876
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1877 978,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1877
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1879 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1879
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1880 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1880
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1881 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1881
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1882 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1882
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1883 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1883
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1884 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1884
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1885 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1885
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1887 500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1887
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1888 1,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1888
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1889 500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1889
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1890 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1890
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1891 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1891
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1892 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1892
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1893 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1893
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1894 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1894
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1895 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1895
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1896 16 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1896
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1897 500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1897
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1898 2,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1898
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1899 1,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1899
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1900 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1900
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1901 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1901
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1902 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1902
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1903 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1903
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1904 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1904
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1905 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1905
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1906 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1906
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1907 5,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1907
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1908 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1908
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1909 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1909
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1910 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1910
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1911 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1911
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1912 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1912
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1913 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1913
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1914 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1914
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1915 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1915
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1917 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1917
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1918 6,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1918
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1919 6,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1919
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1920 5,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1920
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1921 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1921
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1922 4,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1922
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1925 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1925
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1926 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1926
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1927 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1927
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1928 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1928
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1929 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1929
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1930 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1930
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1931 5,037,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1931
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1932 6,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1932
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1933 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1933
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1934 4,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1934
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1936 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1936
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1937 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1937
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1938 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1938
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1939 10,048,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1939
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1940 1,416,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1940
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1941 3,087,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1941
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1942 5,078,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1942
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1943 6,591,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1943
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1944 9,981,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1944
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1945 985,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1945
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1946 6,179,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1946
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1947 5,125,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1947
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1948 4,710,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1948
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1949 4,589,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1949
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1950 920,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1950
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1951 2,141,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1951
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1952 4,690,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1952
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1953 9,131,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1953
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1954 8,038,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1954
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1955 19,943,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1955
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1957 10,147,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1957
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1958 10,217,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1958
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1959 11,085,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1959
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1962 23,840,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1962
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1963 29,730,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1963
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1964 17,080,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1964
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1965 1,430,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1965
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1966 10,010,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1966
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1967 13,010,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1967
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1968 10,020,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1968
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1969 32,990,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1969
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1970 34,800,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1970
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1971 40,020,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1971
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1974 30,002,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1974
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1975 34,005,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1975
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1976 12,005,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1976
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1977 14,012,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1977
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1978 16,415,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1978
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1979 27,010,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1979
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1980 15,510,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1980
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1981 79,030,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1981
Showing 1 to 100 of 143 Coins.
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Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872: Details
CountrySwitzerland
CurrencySwiss Franc
Coin TypeFive Centimes (Rappen), Billon
Issued1872
SymbolCoat of Arms of Switzerland
Face Value5 (x Centime)
Total Mintage1,212,000 (1.2 million)
CurrentNo; demonetised 1886
MaterialBillon
DesignerCarl Friedrich Voigt
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
OrientationMedal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size17.1500 mm
Thickness1.2500 mm
Mass1.6700 g
OCC IDNXYD-ENZC-WPKX-EVRB
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Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872: Photos
ImageDetails
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872: Photo Coin, Switzerland, 5 Rappen 1872 / thumbnail Coin, Switzerland, 5 Rappen 1872
Copyright: NumisCorner.com
Source
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872: Photo Coin, Switzerland, 5 Rappen 1872 / thumbnail Coin, Switzerland, 5 Rappen 1872
Copyright: NumisCorner.com
Source
Five Centimes (Rappen) 1872: Catalogue Reference IDs
SourceReference ID
Schön, WeltmünzkatalogSchweiz Schön# 17
Krause, Standard Catalog of World CoinsSwitzerland KM# 5