Information about effigy: Helvetia, Standing

Helvetia, Standing
Switzerland / Two Francs 1896

Helvetia is the female national personification of Switzerland, officially Confœderatio Helvetica, the Swiss Confederation. The name is a derivation of the ethnonym Helvetii, the name of the Gaulish tribe inhabiting the Swiss Plateau prior to the Roman conquest.

This second version, designed by Albert Walch and engraved by Antoine Bovy, replaced the earlier design of Helvetia Seated in 1874.

It features Helvetia standing on a platform, her head facing to the left. In her right hand (at the left), she holds a lance, and with her left (at the right), she props up a shield with the Swiss Cross at centre; thin vertical lines in the background of the shield are the heraldic representation of the red colour of the Swiss flag. In exergue is the legend HELVETIA.

On all coins made from 1874 to 1982, there are 22 five-pointed stars along the rim of the coin, going from the lower left to lower right boundaries of the obverse. These represent the 19 full Swiss cantons of the time and the six half-cantons, which are collectively represented by the three remaining stars. However, when the Canton of Jura broke away from Bern in 1979, the number of stars was no longer accurate. As a result, a new star was added to the right of Helvetia's likeness in 1983. On examples of all dates, the tip of Helvetia's lance extends to the rim and separates the ninth and tenth stars in the sequence. Nine of the stars are engraved up to the lance, two between the lance and Helvetia's face, and 11 or 12 to the right of the central allegorical figure, depending on the year of issue.

The engraver's signature, A.BOVY INCT. (an abbreviation for the Latin text "Antoine Bovy incidit", meaning "engraved by Antoine Bovy), is located around below, displayed counter-clockwise in small letters. It is split in two by the legend: "A.BOVY" appears to the left of "HELVETIA", and "INCT." to the right.

Helvetia, Standing - Example/s on coins
Switzerland / Two Francs 1896

Standing Helvetia on silver coin

Switzerland / Two Francs 1896

The Standing Helvetia symbol is shown here on the extremely rare 2 Francs coin of 1896.
Helvetia, Standing - showing 100 of 336 coins (Page 3 of 4)
NameMintageLegend
Two Francs 1981 13,862,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1981 18,023,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1982 30,161,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1982 5,922,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1982 15,049,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1983 3,034,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1983 7,029,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1983 22,031,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1984 3,042,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1984 20,050,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1984 2,043,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1985 2,034,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1985 6,038,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1985 20,054,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1986 17,997,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1986 3,032,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1986 5,031,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1987 17,028,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1987 8,028,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1987 10,028,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1988 18,029,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1988 5,029,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1988 10,029,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1989 15,031,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1989 10,031,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1989 8,031,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1990 20,032,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1990 5,045,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1990 2,032,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1991 10,036,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1991 9,036,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1991 12,036,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1992 12,028,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1992 10,028,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1992 30,028,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1993 12,023,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1993 13,050,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1993 13,023,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1994 15,023,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1994 16,023,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1994 10,023,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1995 10,024,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1995 7,024,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1995 13,024,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1996 3,023,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1996 5,023,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1996 8,023,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1997 3,022,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1997 5,022,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1997 6,022,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1998 3,021,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1998 6,021,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1998 4,021,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 1999 5,021,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 1999 3,021,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 1999 3,021,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2000 4,026,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2000 3,026,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2000 4,026,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2001 3,028,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2001 4,028,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2001 6,028,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2002 2,030,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2002 1,030,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2002 1,030,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2003 2,028,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2003 1,028,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2003 2,028,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2004 1,029,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2004 2,029,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2004 2,029,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2005 2,029,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2005 1,029,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2005 1,029,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2006 2,030,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2006 2,030,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2006 7,030,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2007 16,028,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2007 3,028,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2007 18,028,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2008 6,026,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2008 7,026,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2008 25,026,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2009 27,026,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2009 8,026,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2009 11,026,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2010 15,026,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2010 9,026,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2010 27,026,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2011 15,026,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2011 7,026,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2011 15,026,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2012 11,026,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2012 20,026,000 HELVETIA
One Franc 2012 12,026,000 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2013 12,023,500 HELVETIA
One Franc 2013 12,023,500 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2013 23,023,500 HELVETIA
Two Francs 2014 15,022,000 HELVETIA
Half Franc 2014 21,022,000 HELVETIA
Showing 201 to 300 of 336 Coins.
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Helvetia, Standing: Details
Year1874
CountrySwitzerland
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