Ten Francs 2021 Fox, Coin from Switzerland - detailed information

The Ten Francs coin is a denomination of the Swiss Franc. Given that Switzerland has four official languages, the Franc has three different names: Franken in German, franc in French and Romansh, and franco in Italian. Initially when federal Swiss coinage was introduced in 1850, all "francs" (including the half franc) were full-bodied silver, while the centimes were either billon (low-grade silver) or base metal.

The normal circulating 5 FR denomination was supplemented by circulating commemorative one-year type 5 Franc coins in silver and copper-nickel.

In 1999, Swissimint changed the concept and started striking non-circulating commemoratives for collectors only, which were bimetallic 5 Francs at first. After only six coins were issued in the first five years, this format was discontinued. Further non-circulating bimetallic coins are now denominated as 10 Francs, such as those listed below.

The 10 Francs are bimetallic and have the same dimensions as the bimetallic 5 Francs, but their colours are reversed: with an Aluminium Bronze outer ring (92% copper, 6% Aluminium, 2% Nickel) and a copper-nickel inner circle (75% copper, 25% nickel). They are issued in topical series, celebrating various aspects of Swiss heritage or nature.

The 2021 Ten Francs collector coin is dedicated to the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes). It is part of a series on Alpine fauna.

The obverse of the coin is common with the other commemorative 10 Francs and is designed by Roland Hirter; the reverse is designed by Naomi Giewald and features a red fox.

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) belongs to the family of dog-like predators and is unmistakably similar to both dogs and wolves. Foxes can be found on almost all continents, and the forest has long since ceased to be their only habitat. The red fox is known for its twilight and nocturnal forays through the front gardens of big cities. Its eyes can clearly see its surroundings in the dark, by rotating its ears it can locate a squeaking mouse from a distance of more than 100m and its unique sense of smell is 400 times stronger than ours. These attributes make it an adaptable survivor who likes to rummage around our bins for food.

An adult fox's body is just under 1m long and can reach a height of up to 50cm due to its relatively short legs. Its modest body weight of 6kg to 7kg is camouflaged by its thick fur. In January a dog fox looks for a suitable vixen. Female foxes gives birth to 3 to 5 pups after a gestation period of 50 days. During rearing, the male foxes act as providers by bringing food to the den. In addition to mice, insects and berries, a hare or a young deer are also on the menu.

Bimetallic 10 Franc coins are legal tender but are issued in small quantities for collectors only and do not circulate.