Summary
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The 100 franc gold Vreneli has two little sisters the 10 and the 20 franc gold Vreneli.
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The 100 franc gold Vreneli was only produced in 1925.
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A total of 5,000 gold Vrenelis were produced at 100 francs.
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Internationally, the gold Vreneli is a popular gold coin.
The most important facts about the 100-franc gold Vreneli in brief
The gold Vreneli is a Swiss legal tender coin, it exists in three denominations 10 francs, 20 francs and 100 francs, whereby the latter was only minted in a very small edition. Also special are twenty-nine 20 franc Vreneli, which were produced in 1897 from gold mined at the Gondo mine in the canton of Valais.
| Nominal value | Alloy | Weight | Fineness | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHF 10.00 | 90 % Au, 10% Cu | 3,226 g | 2,903 g | 2,650,000 |
| CHF 20.00 | 90 % Au, 10% Cu | 6,452 g | 5,807 g | 58,634,284 |
| CHF 100.00 | 90 % Au, 10% Cu | 32,258 g | 29,032 g | 5'000 |
Today, the gold value exceeds the market value of Swiss gold coins by more than ten times, but due to the low mintage, the numismatic value of the 100 CHF coins is even higher.
History of the 100 CHF gold Vreneli
When the Federal State of Switzerland minted its first coins in 1850, they were exclusively silver coins. Since 1865 Switzerland had been a member of the Latin Monetary Union, which set the franc at 4.5 grammes of silver or 0.290322 grammes of gold. Nevertheless, it was not until 1983 that the 20 franc piece was introduced with the gold coin Helvetia. The Helvetia gold coin is the direct predecessor of the gold Vreneli.
In 1895, the Federal Council decided to give the 20-franc piece a new look. After several designs had been revised, the one by Fritz Ulysse Landry was chosen.
From today's perspective, the discussion about a "frivolous" forelock on one of the designs is amusing.
It was not until 1925 that the 100 franc gold Vreneli was finally produced. The design of the reverse of the 20 franc piece was adopted for the 100 franc. For the front, the design of the 10 franc gold piece was adopted, which had been created 14 years earlier in 1911.
As a result of the world economic crisis in the 1920s and 1930s, all the major trading powers devalued their currencies. This meant that in countries of the Latin Monetary Union, a unit of currency could no longer be exchanged for 0.290322 grammes of gold, as was the case before the devaluation, but that one received less gold for it. The strong franc, which had not been devalued, presented Switzerland with similar challenges as the devaluation of the euro at the beginning of the 21st century. For this reason, Switzerland devalued its currency by 30% directly after France in 1936. As a result, one now suddenly had to pay 28 francs to buy the gold of a gold Vreneli. Thus, the imprinted exchange value of 100 francs lost all meaning and the vrenelis were henceforth only hoarded and traded at the gold value.
The gold-silver ratio at that time was 15.5, whereas today it is much higher at around 70.
The appearance of the 100 franc gold Vreneli
The obverse shows the head of a young woman in front of a mountain panorama. Her hair is braided into a plait and she wears a wreath of edelweiss around her neck. To the right below the shoulder is the inscription F. Landry, the name of the artist who designed the coin.
Due to the youthful appearance of the woman, the name Vreneli, which is a trivialisation of the name Verena, came into use. The inscription HELVETIA is enthroned above the head. On the outermost edge there is a circle of pearls.
The side of the coin shows a Swiss cross in a halo at the top, with the face value of FR 100 in the middle. Below the denomination is the year 1925. Alpine roses have been placed along the lower edge and below them is a B which stands for Bern, where the Federal Mint is located. The side of the coin is also surrounded by a circle of pearls.
Significance of the 100 franc gold Vreneli today
Only 5,000 pieces were produced and experts believe that only 3,500 of them have survived the last hundred years. The remaining 1,500 were destroyed or melted down over time. This has made this coin a rare collector's item and the price is far from the gold price.
Buying and selling the gold Vreneli
Although the 100 franc gold coin is traded more at numismatic collector's value, it can be bought and sold on premesec.ch, the purely Swiss platform would not be complete without this coin.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about the 100 franc gold Vreneli
How many 100 franc gold Vreneli are there?
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Exactly 5,000 were minted in 1925; experts assume that 3,500 of these coins still exist.
Are the 100 franc gold Vreneli still being produced?
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No, the only 100 franc gold Vreneli were made in 1925.
How much is a 100 franc gold Vreneli worth?
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The value of a 100 FR. Gold Vreneli, unlike its smaller sisters, does not depend on the price of gold but on its state of preservation. At present, a very well preserved piece is traded for ten times the gold price, whereas pieces of the quality of preservation stamp gloss can also be worth twenty times the price.
Is the 100 franc gold Vreneli worth it for gold investors?
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No, the 100 franc gold coins have become pure collector's items and have thus decoupled from the gold price. Prices are too high and price trends are difficult to predict, making the coin a poor choice for gold investors.
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