Museum objects
0 shown · 5 cited but not shown. An image only appears here if it is openly
licensed and confirmed to depict the object we claim. Otherwise we cite it and link you to
the museum — we would rather show you nothing than show you the wrong thing.
First 1850 Swiss Franc Coin
MoneyMuseum · 1850 Franc coin · 1850
One of the first coins struck under Switzerland's newly unified federal currency system.
While the rest of Europe was still arguing over borders and kings, Switzerland quietly agreed on one thing: a single, boring, reliable coin. That's Clara's whole personality in one object.
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Referenced in coin cabinet collection
Swiss National Museum Coin Cabinet
image failed verification (wrong object) — cited, not shown
View it at the museum ↗
Helvetia-Design Swiss Coinage
Swiss National Museum Coin Cabinet · Referenced in coin cabinet collection · 1850 onward
Swiss franc coins featuring the personification 'Helvetia,' designed by Friedrich Fisch.
Helvetia is basically Clara's original face — calm, neutral, and completely uninterested in flattering anyone.
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Vreneli 20 Franc
Swiss National Museum Coin Cabinet
image failed verification (wrong object) — cited, not shown
View it at the museum ↗
Vreneli 20-Franc Gold Coin
Swiss National Museum Coin Cabinet · Vreneli 20 Franc · 1897-1949
An iconic Swiss gold coin nicknamed 'Vreneli,' widely held as a store of value and gift coin.
When people around the world lost faith in paper money, they turned to this small gold coin — Clara's reputation for reliability made physical.
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Latin Monetary Union Treaty 1865
Referenced via ifo Institute archive
image failed verification (wrong object) — cited, not shown
View it at the museum ↗
Latin Monetary Union Founding Documents
Referenced via ifo Institute archive · Latin Monetary Union Treaty 1865 · 1865
Treaty documents establishing the Latin Monetary Union, which standardized currencies among several European nations based on the franc.
Other countries wanted to borrow Clara's stability so badly they built an entire treaty around copying her.
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SNB founding charter 1907
Swiss National Bank Archive
image failed verification (wrong object) — cited, not shown
View it at the museum ↗
Swiss National Bank Founding Charter
Swiss National Bank Archive · SNB founding charter 1907 · 1907
Founding charter establishing the Swiss National Bank as the country's sole currency-issuing authority.
This is the paperwork that finally gave Clara one single, unified voice instead of dozens of competing regional banks.
Primary sources
The documents themselves. We link and quote — that is citation, and it needs no licence.
Wikipedia: Coins of the Swiss Franc
encyclopedia_entry · Ongoing · Wikipedia contributors · Wikipedia
Reference overview on the history and design of Swiss franc coinage.
A general overview of Swiss coins and their designs through history.
SNB Monetary and Currency Policy Chronicle
official_publication · Ongoing · Swiss National Bank · Swiss National Bank
Official chronological archive of Swiss monetary policy decisions and events.
The Swiss central bank's own timeline of every major monetary decision it has made.
Latin Monetary Union Research Paper
academic_publication · Ongoing · ifo Institute · ifo Institute
Economic history research on the formation and dissolution of the Latin Monetary Union.
Academic research explaining how several European countries once tied their money to the Swiss franc.
MoneyMuseum Historical Archive
museum_record · Ongoing · MoneyMuseum, Zurich · MoneyMuseum
Digital and physical archive documenting the history of money, including Swiss franc coinage.
A Swiss museum entirely dedicated to the history of money, including its own currency.
Swiss National Museum Coin Cabinet Digital Collection
museum_record · Ongoing · Swiss National Museum · Swiss National Museum
Digitized coin collection documenting Swiss numismatic history.
An online collection of historic Swiss coins you can browse for free.
Where this money travelled
Clara's franc was born from Swiss federal unification in 1850 and became the world's premier safe-haven currency, anchored in Bern, Zurich, and Basel.
Bern (Bundeshaus)46.9466, 7.4441
Zurich (Bahnhofstrasse)47.3717, 8.5388
Basel (BIS Tower)47.5596, 7.5886
La Chaux-de-Fonds47.1039, 6.8253
Geneva46.2044, 6.1432
What we don't know
The page no competitor will build.
- 5 of 5 objects on this page are cited but not shown — either the rights are not cleared, or we could not verify that an available image really depicts the object. We would rather show you nothing than show you the wrong thing.
- 1 source(s) here are Wikipedia — a tertiary source. It is a pointer, not our evidence. These are being replaced with the primary documents Wikipedia itself cites.
