page_title: Swiss franc
section_title: Helvetic Republic to Regeneration 1798–1847
hierarchical_section_title: Swiss franc / History / Helvetic Republic to Regeneration 1798–1847
caption_attribution_description: Switzerland, Canton Vaud. AR 40 Batzen (29.43 g). Dated 1812. Mintage of 2,485 pieces. Civic coat-of-arms Soldier with pike and shield. Davenport 362; KM 17. Toned UNC, proof-like surfaces
context_page_description: The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia. The Swiss National Bank issues banknotes and the federal mint Swissmint issues coins.
  The smaller denomination, a hundredth of a franc, is a Rappen in German, centime in French, centesimo in Italian, and rap in Romansh. The ISO 4217 code of the currency used by banks and financial institutions is CHF.
  The official symbols Fr. and fr. are widely used by businesses and advertisers, also for the English language. According Art. 1 SR/RS 941.101 of the federal law collection the internationally official abbreviation – besides the national languages – however is CHF, also in English; respective guides also request to use the ISO 4217 code. Outdated is the use of SFr. for Swiss Franc and fr.sv.. The Latinate “CH” stands for Confoederatio Helvetica. Given the different languages used in Switzerland, Latin is used for language-neutral inscriptions on its coins.
context_section_description: In 1798, the Helvetic Republic introduced the franc, a currency based on the Berne thaler, subdivided into 10 batzen or 100 centimes. The Swiss franc was equal to ​6 ³⁄₄ grams of pure silver or ​1 ¹⁄₂ French francs.
  This franc was issued until the end of the Helvetic Republic in 1803, but served as the model for the currencies of several cantons in the Mediation period (1803–1814). These 19 cantonal currencies were the Appenzell frank, Argovia frank, Basel frank, Berne frank, Fribourg frank, Geneva franc, Glarus frank, Graubünden frank, Luzern frank, St. Gallen frank, Schaffhausen frank, Schwyz frank, Solothurn frank, Thurgau frank, Ticino franco, Unterwalden frank, Uri frank, Vaud franc, and Zürich frank.
  After 1815, the restored Swiss Confederacy attempted to simplify the system of currencies once again. 
  As of 1820, a total of 8,000 distinct coins were current in Switzerland: those issued by cantons, cities, abbeys, and principalities or lordships, mixed with surviving coins of the Helvetic Republic and the pre-1798 Helvetic Republic. In 1825, the cantons of Berne, Basel, Fribourg, Solothurn, Aargau, and Vaud formed a monetary concordate, issuing standardised coins, the so-called Konkordanzbatzen, still carrying the coat of arms of the issuing canton, but interchangeable and identical in value. The reverse side of the coin displayed a Swiss cross with the letter C in the center.
caption: 40 Batzen coin of Vaud (1812)
exif: {}