Banknotes of theSwiss franc are issued by theSwiss National Bank in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 1,000 Swiss francs.

Between 2016 and 2019, the eighth series, while remaining valid, was being replaced by the ninth series. All banknotes starting from the sixth series are exchangeable; banknotes from the fifth series ceased to be valid and were fully demonetised on 1 May 2000.

The first banknotes in Switzerland were issued in 1825 by theCaisse de dépôt of the city ofBern.^[1]

During the 19th century thecantons (states) of Switzerland had the right to print their own notes. Following the law of 8 March 1881 theSwiss National Bank had the exclusive right to issue banknotes in Switzerland. Its first notes were issued in 1907. Since then, nine series ofSwiss franc notes have been printed, six of which have been completely released for use by the general public, and a new series started being released in 2016.

Switzerland is unusual among affluent countries in that it used to expire its banknotes; the Swiss National Bank has declared several older series of banknotes to be no longerlegal tender some time after introducing newer series.^[2] Notes from these "recalled" series could be exchanged for still-valid notes at the National Bank for up to 20 years after the date of recall, after which the notes lost all value. When recalled series become valueless, the National Bank transfers an amount of money equal to the sum of the now-worthless notes to a state-run last-resort disaster insurance fund, the Swiss Fund for Aid in Cases of Uninsurable Damage by Natural Forces.^[3] In June 2019, theSwiss parliament passed a bill that removed the twenty-year time limit. Effective 1 January 2020, all banknotes starting from the sixth series issued in 1976 as well as any future series remain valid and can be exchanged for current notes indefinitely.^[2][3][4][5]

In April 2021, the Swiss National Bank announced that it was recalling its eighth series of banknotes issued between 1995 and 1998; the series was replaced by the ninth series launched between 2016 and 2019.^[6] In May 2021, the old banknotes lost their status as legal tender and are no longer valid for payments.^[6]

1st series of Swiss banknotes[10]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main colour	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse	issue	withdrawal	lapse
		50 francs	166 × 103 mm	Green/Yellow	Helvetia	Ornaments	20 June 1907	1 July 1925	1 July 1945
		100 francs	183 × 116 mm	Blue
		500 francs	199 × 126 mm	Green
		1000 francs	215 × 132 mm	Purple
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre (18 pixel per inch). For table standards, see thebanknote specification table.

The second series of Swiss banknotes was issued between 1911 and 1914.

2nd series of Swiss banknotes[11]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main colour	Description		Date of			Notes
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse	issue	withdrawal	lapse
		5 francs	148 × 70 mm	Brown/Green	William Tell	Ornaments	3 August 1914	1 May 1980	1 May 2000
		10 francs	135 × 82 mm	Brown/Yellow	Woman fromNeuchâtel		—			Reserve note
		20 francs	163 × 95 mm	Blue/purple	Vreneli		31 July 1914	31 December 1935	1 January 1956
		50 francs	165 × 106 mm	Green	Woman's head	Woodcutter	22 December 1911	1 October 1958	1 October 1978
		100 francs	181 × 115 mm	Dark blue		Reaper	16 September 1911
		500 francs	200 × 125 mm	Red/Brown		Embroideres	24 December 1912
		1000 francs	216 × 131 mm	Purple/Orange		Foundry	16 September 1911
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre (18 pixel per inch). For table standards, see thebanknote specification table.

The third series of Swiss banknotes was printed in 1918; some of the notes were issued as war notes, while others were kept as reserve.^[12]

The fourth series of Swiss banknotes was printed in 1938 as a reserve series and was never issued.

4th series of Swiss banknotes[13]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main colour	Description		Date of issue
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse
		50 francs	167 × 96 mm	Green	Woman's head	Bull	Never issued (reserve series)
		100 francs	190 × 106 mm	Blue	Woman fromHaslital	Ornaments
		500 francs	210 × 116 mm	Brown-red	Woman's head	Chemistry
		1000 francs	228 × 125 mm	Purple		Turbine
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre (18 pixel per inch). For table standards, see thebanknote specification table.

The fifth series of Swiss banknotes was issued starting in 1957.

5th series of Swiss banknotes[14]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main colour	Description		Designer	Date of
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse		issue	withdrawal	lapse
		10 francs	137 × 75 mm	Red-brown	Gottfried Keller	Bennet blossoms	Hermann Eidenbenz	1 October 1956	1 May 1980	1 May 2000
		20 francs	155 × 85 mm	Blue	Guillaume-Henri Dufour	Thistle		29 March 1956
		50 francs	173 × 95 mm	Green	Head of a girl	Apple harvest	Pierre Gauchat	14 June 1957
		100 francs	191 × 105 mm	Dark blue	Head of a boy	St Martin
		500 francs	210 × 115 mm	Brown-red	Head of a woman	Fountain of Youth
		1000 francs	228 × 125 mm	Purple		Danse Macabre
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre (18 pixel per inch). For table standards, see thebanknote specification table.

6th series of Swiss banknotes[15]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main colour	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse	issue	withdrawal	lapse
		10 francs	137 × 66 mm	Red	Leonhard Euler	Water turbine, theSolar System and a scheme of propagation of rays of light passing through lenses	5 November 1979	1 May 2000	none (abolished)[16]
		20 francs	148 × 70 mm	Blue	Horace-Bénédict de Saussure	Mountain range, a group of alpinists and the Ammonshorn	4 April 1979
		50 francs	159 × 74 mm	Green	Conrad Gessner	Eagle owl, primula, stars	4 October 1978
		100 francs	170 × 78 mm	Dark blue	Francesco Borromini	Upper part of the dome-tower as well as the floor plan of the churchSant'Ivo alla Sapienza	4 October 1976
		500 francs	181 × 82 mm	Brown	Albrecht von Haller	Muscular figure of a human body, graph of respiration and the circulation of the blood, and a purple orchis	4 April 1977
		1000 francs	192 × 86 mm	Purple	Auguste Forel	Three ants and a cross-section of an anthill	4 April 1978
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre (18 pixel per inch). For table standards, see thebanknote specification table.

A seventh series of Swiss banknotes was designed and printed in 1984, in parallel with the sixth series, but was never released. It formed the reserve series, to be released, for example, if the current series were suddenly to become widely counterfeited. At first, almost no information was released on the series for security reasons, except for small fragments. However, after the eighth series was released, it was decided to improve the security features of the current series rather than develop a new reserve series. The details of the seventh series were later released, while the actual banknotes were destroyed. The designers wereRoger Pfund andElisabeth Pfund. They had originally won the competition for the design of the sixth series, but since the Swiss National Bank decided to use the design by Ernst and Ursula Hiestand instead, the Pfunds were charged with the design of the reserve series.^[17][18]

7th series of Swiss banknotes[15]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main colour	Description		Date of issue
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse
		10 francs	137 × 66 mm	Red-brown	Leonhard Euler; development of thepolyhedron, thebridges of Königsberg	Gamma function; table for the calculation of numbers; diagram of theSolar System	Never issued (reserve series)
		20 francs	148 × 70 mm	Blue	Horace-Bénédict de Saussure;quartz crystals;Hornblende beam	Hair hygrometer, view of the valley ofChamonix and theMont Blanc massif; expedition to theTacul glacier
		50 francs	159 × 74 mm	Green	Conrad Gessner; branch of adwarf cherry tree; foliage of the bush	Golden eagle (based on awoodcut from Gessner'sHistoriae animalium); "Metamorphosis of animals"; Latin text from the Historiae Animalium referring to theseven-headed hydra
		100 francs	170 × 78 mm	Dark blue	Francesco Borromini; architectural motif from theBasilica of St. John Lateran	Raising of the lantern and the spire ofSant'Ivo alla Sapienza; floor plan ofSan Carlo alle Quattro Fontane;dove andolive branch
		500 francs	181 × 82 mm	Brown	Albrecht von Haller;hexagonal structure of thecell; cell tissue	18th century anatomy plate;x-ray of the humanthorax; mountains, referring to his poem "The Alps"
		1000 francs	192 × 86 mm	Purple	Louis Agassiz; structure of the surface of ashellfish	Head, skeleton andfossil of aperch; structure of thescales of a perch;ammonite
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre (18 pixel per inch). For table standards, see thebanknote specification table.

The eighth series of Swiss franc banknotes, designed byJörg Zintzmeyer, entered circulation in 1995. They were withdrawn in 2021.

Eight series (1995–1998)[19] Designer: Jörg Zintzmeyer
Image		Value	Dimensions (mm)	Main colour		Description		Issue	Withdrawn
Obverse	Reverse					Obverse	Reverse
		10 francs	74 × 126		Yellow	Le Corbusier	Ground plan, government district ofChandigarh,India	8 April 1995	30 April 2021
		20 francs	74 × 137		Red	Arthur Honegger	Pacific 231	1 October 1994
		50 francs	74 × 148		Green	Sophie Taeuber-Arp	Tête Dada, 1919	3 October 1995
		100 francs	74 × 159		Blue	Alberto Giacometti	L'Homme qui marche I	1 October 1998
		200 francs	74 × 170		Brown	Charles Ferdinand Ramuz	Lac de Derborence (Les Diablerets),Lavaux	1 October 1997
		1000 francs	74 × 181		Purple	Jacob Burckhardt	Palazzo Strozzi,Firenze	1 April 1998
For table standards, see thebanknote specification table.

In 2005, the Swiss National Bank held a competition to determine the design of the next series of banknotes. The competition was won byManuel Krebs, but his designs, which include depictions of blood cells and embryos, were met with sufficient opposition from the general public as to discourage the bank from going forward with them.^[20] As a result, the ninth series of Swiss franc banknotes was based on designs by second place finalistManuela Pfrunder.^[21] The series was scheduled to be issued around 2010 but was delayed to 2015 due to technical problems in the production.^[22][23] The new 50-franc banknote was issued on 12 April 2016, followed by the 20-franc banknote on 17 May 2017, the 10-franc banknote on 18 October 2017, the 200-franc banknote on 22 August 2018, the 1,000-franc banknote on 13 March 2019 and the 100-franc banknote on 12 September 2019.

Ninth series (2016–2018)[24] Designer:Manuela Pfrunder
Image		Value	Dimensions (mm)	Main colour		Description			Issue
Obverse	Reverse					Theme (Swiss characteristic)	Obverse (action)	Reverse (location and object)
		10 francs	70 × 123		Yellow	Time Organisational talent	Hands conducting with abaton Globe: around theIDL,End of Day(Pacific Ocean);Time zones Background: Clock faces Security strip: Swiss rail network and its longest tunnels	Lötschberg Base Tunnel rail tracks, reducing traveltime Watch's movement: symbolising strong organisational talent Rail network lines	18 October 2017[25]
		20 francs	70 × 130		Red	Light Creativity	Hand with aprism and light Globe: 4 hours earlier(Pacific Ocean, Americas);constellations Background: Kaleidoscope Security strip: Night-time light emissions; distances in light seconds between Earth and celestial bodies	Light beaming a movie to a large outdoor screen on the Piazza Grande inLocarno during theLocarno Film Festival Butterfly: Light reveals the wings' colour Iris lines	17 May 2017
		50 francs	70 × 137		Green	Wind Wealth of experiences	Hand holding adandelion;pappi carried by the wind Globe: another 4 hours earlier(Africa, Americas);wind directions Background: Wind flow arrows Security strip: Swiss Alps and four-thousand-metre peaks list	Wind streaming around theSwiss Alps's glaciated mountain peaks Paraglider: the wind keeping it aloft Contour lines: evokes the Swiss varied landscapes	12 April 2016
		100 francs	70 × 144		Blue	Water Humanitarian tradition	Hands holding, providing water Globe: another 4 hours earlier(Europe, Africa);isobars and contour lines Security strip: Switzerland's rivers and its longest rivers	Water flowing alongside a mountain side inValais German:Suonen/French:desbisses: irrigation channels	12 September 2019[26]
		200 francs	70 × 151		Brown	Matter Scientific expertise	Hand pointing to the three dimensions (right-hand rule) Globe: another 4 hours earlier(Africa, Eurasia); LateCretaceous period land masses Security strip: Swiss geological ages map; timeline of the universe's formation stages	Signals from aparticle collision in a detector at theCERNLarge Hadron Collider inGeneva Particle collision map	22 August 2018[26]
		1000 francs	70 × 158		Purple	Language Communicative flair	Handshake Globe: another 4 hours earlier,Start of Day(Eastern Asia, Australia);IPA letters Security strip: Map of the Swiss language regions; list of Swiss cantons	Holding speeches in differentlanguages in the Swiss parliament during theFederal Assembly atBern Relation graph	13 March 2019[26]
For table standards, see thebanknote specification table.

According to the 2008 edition ofGuinness World Records, the eighth series of Swiss franc notes is the most secure in the world with up to 18 security features including a tilting digit, which can only be seen from an unusual angle, a UV digit that can only be seen under ultraviolet light and micro text.^[28] According to their respective central banks, the rate of counterfeited banknotes as of 2011 was about 1 in 100,000 for theSwiss franc, 1 in 20,000 for theeuro, 1 in 10,000 for theUnited States dollar and 1 in 3,333 for thepound sterling.^[29]

• Coins of the Swiss franc
• Vreneli
• Hybrid paper-polymer banknote

• Michel de Rivaz,The Swiss banknote: 1907–1997, Genoud, 1997 (ISBN 2-88100-080-0).
• Albert Meier,Monnaies – Billets de Banque. Suisse – Liechtenstein 1798–1995, Hünibach, 1996.

• Media related toBanknotes of Switzerland at Wikimedia Commons
• Banknotes and coins (Swiss National Bank)Archived 8 November 2015 at theWayback Machine

• Banknotes of Europe
• Currencies of Switzerland

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