OREANDA-NEWS. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will begin issuing its new banknote series on 12 April 2016. The first denomination to enter circulation will be the 50-franc note. The current eighth-series
banknotes will remain legal tender until further notice.

The inspiration behind the new banknote series is ‘The many facets of Switzerland’. Each denomination depicts a typically Swiss characteristic, which is then illustrated graphically using a range of elements. The 50-franc note focuses on the wealth of experiences Switzerland has to offer – expressed by the wind, the note’s key motif. Core design elements in the new series are the hand and the globe, which appear on every denomination.

As with the banknotes currently in circulation, the ninth series consists of six denominations; the colour scheme, too, remains the same. However, the new format is smaller and thus easier to handle.

The new notes were designed by Manuela Pfrunder and printed by Orell Füssli Security Printing Ltd using an innovative, three-layer banknote substrate. The combination of complex security features and sophisticated design provides state-of-the-art anti-counterfeiting protection. The new series equips Switzerland with banknotes that are both more modern and more secure than the previous generation.

The next denomination, the 20-franc note, will be issued in spring 2017. The remaining notes in the series will be issued subsequently at half-yearly or yearly intervals. The SNB will announce each new issue date well in advance. Issuance of the entire series is scheduled to be completed by 2019.