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Summary

• The 20 franc gold vreneli has two sisters the 10 and the 100 franc gold vreneli.

• The 20 franc gold vreneli has been produced since 1897.

• A total of 58,634,296 20-franc gold vrenelis have been produced.

• The gold vreneli is also a popular gold investment internationally.

• In 1897, 29 gold vreneli were made from Swiss gold.

The most important facts in brief

The Goldvreneli is a Swiss currency coin, it exists in three nominations 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 in the Gondo mine in the canton of Valais.

Today, its gold value exceeds the market value of 20 francs by more than ten times. For this reason, the coin is no longer used in payment transactions, although it has never been withdrawn from circulation.

History of the 20-franc gold vreneli

When the Federal State of Switzerland minted its first coins in 1850, they were exclusively silver coins. From 1865, Switzerland was a member of the Latin Monetary Union, which fixed the franc at 4.5 grams of silver or 0.290322 grams of gold. Nevertheless, it was not until 1883 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.

The Vreneli was subsequently minted from 1897 to 1941. Thus, the gold Vreneli outlasted the Latin Monetary Union by a good 30 years, which ceased to exist as early as 1910.

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 the countries of the Latin Monetary Union, a unit of currency could no longer be exchanged for 0.290322 grams 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 suddenly had to pay 28 francs to buy the gold of a gold vreneli. Thus, the 20-franc exchange rate lost all meaning and from then on the vrenelis were only hoarded and traded at their 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 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 reverse shows a Swiss coat of arms, flanked by the face value of FR 20. An oak branch with acorns can be seen in the background. At the bottom is the year of minting and slightly to the right is a B which stands for Bern, where the Federal Mint is located. There are coins that have an L to the left of 1935, these were struck in 1945,46 and 47. The reverse is also surrounded by a circle of pearls.

The edge of the coin is not smooth but is adorned with 22 stars, each star representing a canton.

20 franc gold vreneli made of Swiss gold

In Switzerland, geography lessons in schools teach that Switzerland has no mineral resources. This statement is false, as iron, coal and gold can also be mined in the Swiss mountains. However, the deposits are less productive and the labour is more expensive than elsewhere. It is therefore no longer economically worthwhile to exploit these deposits. There were gold mines in the canton of Ticino and in Valais in the 19th century. In 1897, 29 gold vreneli were minted from Gondo gold. After that, the gold mine in Gondo was shut down. Some of its ruins can still be visited today.

Significance of the 20 franc gold vreneli today

The Vreneli is still mainly hoarded. While the 1 ounce coins from Austria, the USA and Canada are popular with many investors, the Vreneli is nowadays often given as a gift for births, first communions, weddings and various other occasions. Of course, this also has to do with the fact that a gold Vreneli is about five times lighter and therefore much cheaper than an ounce of gold.

Buy and sell gold Vreneli

A big problem with the coin is the large difference between buying and selling. For a 20-franc Vreneli, the difference is one seventh, or about 14 percent. While one can have some understanding for such discounts on consumer electronics and cars, this is unacceptable for an investment product that was partly produced over 100 years ago and does not lose its value.

Therefore, it is advisable to trade the Vreneli directly with other consumers on premesec.ch.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about the 20 franc gold vreneli

Why is the gold vreneli so popular?

The 20 franc gold vreneli is the Swiss gold coin that was produced in the highest number of pieces. This makes it the Swiss gold coin with the best price-performance ratio.

How many 20 franc gold vreneli are there?

Between 1897 and 1949, a total of 58,634,296 pieces were minted, the largest number of which was struck between 1935 and 1949, namely 39,383,813.

What is the rarest vintage of the 20 franc gold vreneli?

Only 50,000 were minted in 1926, making it by far the rarest vintage. Goldvreneli minted in 1926 are traded at almost double the gold price.

Are the 20 franc gold Vreneli still being produced?

No, the last gold Vreneli were produced in 1949.

How much is a 20 franc gold Vreneli worth?

The value of a gold Vreneli depends on many factors: Frequency of vintage, state of preservation and, of course, the value of the gold. The price of the gold is certainly the most important factor. You should never sell a gold vreneli for less than the price of gold; if it is a very rare specimen from 1904-1907 or even 1926, the value will be much higher.

How much does a 20 franc gold vreneli cost?

The price is determined by the market, usually the 20 CHF gold vreneli is sold 10% above the gold value.

How much do I get for a 20 CHF gold vreneli?

If you trade it privately, you can well ask the gold price or a little above. Banks and precious metal dealers usually only pay the gold price, often minus a handling fee.

Is the gold vreneli still official currency?

No, it is no longer legal tender today due to a decision by the Federal Council to devalue the Swiss franc on 27.09.1936, gold was suddenly worth more than 20 francs, later it was taken out of circulation.

Is it better to buy a gold vreneli or a 5 gram bar?

Gold vreneli make an excellent gift with a Swiss connection; after all, it is the Swiss gold coin par excellence. But if it's just a matter of investing in gold, a 5 gram gold bar often offers the better price per gram and is close to the value of a gold vreneli, which contains 5.8 grams of fine gold.

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