While the smaller coins remained unchanged from the 1870s until the abolition of silver coins, the five-franc piece was revised several times. The last revision was issued in 1931 and is identical in appearance to the copper-nickel alloyed 5 franc coins still in circulation today. The 5 franc silver coin is made of 835/1000 silver.

The appearance of the 5 Swiss franc silver coin as of 1931

The design of the coin is by Paul Burkart and was taken from the previous coin, which was struck from 1922 - 1928.

The obverse shows the value 5 FR above a Swiss coat of arms. The coat of arms is flanked by edelweiss on the left and alpine roses on the right. Below the coat of arms is the year of minting, 1931 - 1967 and 1969. Below the year of minting is a small B which stands for Bern (= Federal Mint).

The reverse is dominated by an alpine heron whose head is framed by the inscription CONFEDERATIO HELVETICA.

The edge is neither smooth nor fluted, as on most circulation coins, but bears the embossing of stars and the Latin inscription DOMINUS PROVIDEBIT.

In contrast to its predecessors, this coin is smaller and contains less silver, namely only 12.525 g pure silver instead of 22.5 g silver as before. This change came about because since the abolition of the Latin Monetary Union in 1927, the market value of the coin no longer had to be covered by its material value. Since the material value of the new 5-franc coin was only about 3 francs, a lot of money could be saved.

Off-pegging of the 5 franc silver coins

During the period of the Latin Monetary Union 1865 - 1927, Swiss money was also backed by gold and silver. Later, Switzerland switched to the gold standard, which it maintained until 1936. From 1949 to 1973, gold was indirectly backed by the dollar through the Bretton Woods system, but when this also failed, Swiss money also became a fiat currency. For this reason, it no longer made sense to have silver coins in circulation. Therefore, after the introduction of the new nickel-copper alloyed coins in 1968 and 1970, the silver 5-franc coin was finally withdrawn from circulation in 1971.

Colloquial name for the 5 franc coin

The 5 franc coin is the most valuable coin in Switzerland but also in the world, which is probably one of the reasons why this coin has some nicknames in Swiss German like:

• Fünfliber

• Schnägg (snail)

The 5 Swiss franc silver coin from 1931 for silver saving

Due to the high silver content (835/1000) and its status as a former means of payment, this coin is popular with savers. It is rare to find a coin still in circulation, but you can also buy them in larger quantities from coin dealers. Its price is close to the price of silver, making it an alternative to silver bullion coins such as the silver Vienna Philharmonic or the silver Maple Leaf, etc.

Frequently asked questions about the 5 franc silver coin from 1931 onwards

How much is a five-franc silver coin worth?

The value can be seen as the nominal value at which the Swiss National Bank would exchange it or the value of the processed silver. As a result of inflation, the value of the silver in a 5 franc silver coin as of 1931 is now well above the value of 5 francs.

The silver value is calculated as follows: Silver price per kg / 1000 * 12.525.

Where can I get money for my 5 franc silver coin?

You can either sell silver coins at a scrap silver buyer or, even better, you can sell them directly to another silver saver via premesec.ch.

Summary

• The 5 franc coin of 1931 looks very similar to both its predecessor and its successor.

• This 5 franc coin has almost half the silver of its predecessor.

• It is out of circulation, but if you are lucky you will find one still in circulation.

• The 5 franc coin from 1931 is popular with silver savers.