Information about legend: · CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA · [year]

Translated from Latin: Swiss Federation.

The Old Swiss Confederacy of the early modern period was often called Helvetia or Republica Helvetiorum ("Republic of the Helvetians") in learned humanist Latin, and the allegory Helvetia makes her appearance in 1672. The official Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica (abbreviated CH) was introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic, appearing on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal.

The Latin name is ultimately derived from the name of the Helvetii, the Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss plateau in the Roman era.

The legend is spelled as CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA (separate letters O and E) on 5 Francs coins; since 1922, these do not have the date on the obverse.

CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA

Switzerland / Five Centimes (Rappen) 1896

The legend was initially spelled with the original Latin "Œ" for "oe".

CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA

Switzerland / Five Francs 2007

On some (not all) modern coins, the spelling is with separate letters: CONFOEDERATIO.