Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897, Coin from Switzerland - detailed information

Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897, Coin from Switzerland (demonetised 2004)
CoinTwenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897

The Twenty Centimes coin is a small circulating denomination of the Swiss Franc. 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 20 Rappen coin, but the English-language publications of the Swiss National Bank and Swissmint prefer the term 20 centimes.

The first version of the 20 centimes / rappen coin was designed by Carl Friedrich Voigt of the Munich Mint (then Royal Bavarian Mint). On the obverse it featured 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 flower (Alpine rose) branches. The reverse shows the value (only a numeral, no text) within a flower wreath. This original reverse has remained unchanged and is still used on current coins. This version was lighter (3.25 grams) and made of billon (an alloy with a very low quantity of silver), the composition of which varied through the years.

The first version was issued only until 1859 and was demonetised on 30th June 1886.

In 1881, the obverse was changed to a design by Karl Schwenzer featuring the effigy of Libertas. The metal was changed to pure nickel and the coin became heavier (4 grams). The nickel version was issued until 1938 and circulated until it was finally demonetised on 1st January 2004; thus, coins issued in 1897 circulated for almost 107 years.

MintSwissmint Mint MarkLetter B Total Mintage 500,000
Obverse
Switzerland / Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897 - obverse photo

The obverse features an effigy of Libertas, the Roman goddess and embodiment of Liberty. It depicts a female head looking right, with a ribbon in her hair, wearing a diadem with the text LIBERTAS on it. Around, the legend · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · (translated from Latin: Swiss Federation), separated from the date 1897 below by quatrefoils (flower shape with four leaves) for dots.

Obverse Inscription · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1897
Reverse
Switzerland / Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897 - reverse photo

The reverse shows the value 20 (only a numeral, no text) within a wreath of flowers (Alpine roses). This original reverse has remained unchanged since 1850 to present.

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

Reverse Inscription 20
EdgePlainEdge InscriptionNone
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897: References to Information Used
SourceEditionAboutLinkNotes
Swissmint 2017 Mint link
Swissmint 2017 Mintage link
Showing 100 from a total of 120 coins of type: Twenty Centimes (Rappen)
Coin NameMintageSymbolLegend
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1850 5,779,892 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1850
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1851 5,779,891 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1851
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1858 1,548,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1858
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1859 2,776,000 Coat of Arms of Switzerland HELVETIA 1859
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1881 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1881
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1883 2,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1883
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1884 4,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1884
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1885 3,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1885
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1887 500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1887
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1891 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1891
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1893 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1893
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1894 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1894
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1896 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1896
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897 500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1897
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1898 500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1898
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1899 500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1899
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1900 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1900
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1901 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1901
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1902 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1902
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1903 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1903
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1906 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1906
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1907 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1907
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1908 1,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1908
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1909 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1909
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1911 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1911
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1912 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1912
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1913 1,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1913
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1919 1,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1919
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1920 3,100,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1920
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1921 2,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1921
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1924 1,100,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1924
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1925 1,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1925
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1926 1,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1926
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1927 500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1927
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1929 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1929
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1930 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1930
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1931 2,250,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1931
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1932 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1932
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1933 1,500,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1933
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1934 2,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1934
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1936 1,000,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1936
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1938 2,805,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1938
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1939 8,100,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1939
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1943 10,173,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1943
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1944 7,139,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1944
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1945 1,992,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1945
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1947 5,131,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1947
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1950 5,970,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1950
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1951 3,640,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1951
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1952 3,075,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1952
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1953 6,958,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1953
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1954 1,504,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1954
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1955 9,103,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1955
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1956 5,111,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1956
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1957 2,535,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1957
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1958 5,037,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1958
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1959 10,136,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1959
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1960 15,469,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1960
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1961 8,234,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1961
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1962 30,145,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1962
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1963 9,020,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1963
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1964 14,370,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1964
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1965 15,005,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1965
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1966 10,785,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1966
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1967 8,995,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1967
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1968 10,540,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1968
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1969 39,875,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1969
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1970 45,605,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1970
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1971 25,160,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1971
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1974 30,025,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1974
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1975 50,060,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1975
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1976 23,150,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1976
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1977 14,012,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1977
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1978 14,815,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1978
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1979 18,378,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1979
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1980 24,570,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1980
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1981 22,030,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1981
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1982 25,045,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1982
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1983 10,037,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1983
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1984 22,069,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1984
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1985 40,039,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1985
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1986 10,299,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1986
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1987 10,028,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1987
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1988 25,029,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1988
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1989 20,031,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1989
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1990 6,534,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1990
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1991 48,076,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1991
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1992 12,628,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1992
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1993 32,523,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1993
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1994 20,023,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1994
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1995 8,024,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1995
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1996 4,023,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1996
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1997 6,022,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1997
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1998 7,021,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1998
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1999 4,021,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 1999
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 2000 3,026,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 2000
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 2001 7,028,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 2001
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 2002 12,030,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 2002
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 2003 10,028,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 2003
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 2004 10,029,000 Libertas by Karl Schwenzer · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · 2004
Showing 1 to 100 of 120 Coins.
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Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897: Details
CountrySwitzerland
CurrencySwiss Franc
Coin TypeTwenty Centimes (Rappen), Nickel
Issued1897
SymbolLibertas by Karl Schwenzer
Face Value20 (x Centime)
Total Mintage500,000
CurrentNo; demonetised 2004
MaterialNickel
DesignerCarl Friedrich Voigt, Karl Schwenzer
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
OrientationMedal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size21.0500 mm
Thickness1.6500 mm
Mass4.0000 g
OCC IDANMQ-OPYC-VWGX-EJYG
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Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897: Photos
ImageDetails
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897: Photo Switzerland, 20 Rappen, 1897 / thumbnail Switzerland, 20 Rappen, 1897
Copyright: NumisCorner.com
Source
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897: Photo Switzerland, 20 Rappen, 1897 / thumbnail Switzerland, 20 Rappen, 1897
Copyright: NumisCorner.com
Source
Twenty Centimes (Rappen) 1897: Catalogue Reference IDs
SourceReference ID
Schön, WeltmünzkatalogSchweiz Schön# 26
Krause, Standard Catalog of World CoinsSwitzerland KM# 29