Twenty Francs 2013 First Transalpine Flight, Coin from Switzerland - detailed information

The Twenty 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.

In regular circulation, the denomination is served by a banknote. These coins are non-circulating legal tender made for collectors. They are issued in topical series, celebrating various aspects of Swiss heritage or nature.

The edge is usually inscribed with the motto DOMINUS PROVIDEBIT (The Lord will provide - a quote from the Bible, Genesis 22, 8), and thirteen stars representing the original thirteen cantons of the Swiss Federation.

This coin commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first transalpine flight, conducted by Oskar Bider in 1913.

Oskar Bider (1891 - 1919) was a Swiss aviation pioneer. Bider's big goal was crossing the Alps from Bern to Milan, which had already been attempted by fellow aviation pioneer Jorge Chávez in 1910. Bider took off from Bern, at 4 am, on 13 July 1913. He crossed the Jungfraujoch at an altitude of 3,600 metres at 6:10 am, passing the peak with about 100 metres of clearance. He stopped in Domodossola for refueling and finished his journey in Milan. He waited for 13 days in Milan for good weather conditions and then crossed the Apls back over Lukmanier Pass and Chrüzli Pass, landed in Liestal to refuel, and finishing the flight in Bern.