Obverse: identify the front

A left-facing portrait wears a LIBERTAS diadem, surrounded by CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA. Compare the explicit diadem word rather than assuming every portrait of Helvetia is the same Swiss coin. The older portrait lacks the later Vreneli’s braided hair and mountain scene.

Reverse: identify the back

The Swiss cross appears inside a shield, with 20 and FR at its sides, a star above and 1896 below. Branches surround the shield. The visible denomination confirms twenty francs; a shield alone is not proof of gold composition.

History and purpose

Swissmint classifies this older twenty-franc group as 1883–1896, preceding the Vreneli introduced in 1897. The issuer lists .900 gold, 21 mm and a rounded 6.452 g mass. The calculator retains the longer original nominal standard rather than converting the rounded issuer display into an invented exact ounce amount.

How to identify this variant

Read LIBERTAS, CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA and 20 FR together. Compare nominal 21 mm diameter and mass, and preserve an edge view. A coin with HELVETIA above a mountain portrait belongs to the later Vreneli identification pathway instead.

Understanding its metal content

The nominal calculation is 6.45161 g × 0.900 = 5.806449 g fine gold. Divide by 31.1034768 g per troy ounce to obtain approximately 0.186682 troy oz. The remaining tenth is alloy, not additional gold. A quantity of three represents approximately 0.560045 troy oz at standard weight. The theoretical metal amount is separate from a collector premium or buyer offer; it is not a measured assay of your specimen.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

The older type has an early reeded-edge group and a later lettered-edge group. Swissmint distinguishes 1883–1885 from 1886–1896. The photographed 1896 face pair does not show the edge, so any specimen’s inscription should be independently inspected.

Melt value versus collector value

Keep older Libertas coins separate from Vreneli coins when documenting a collection even though their twenty-franc gold standards match. Date, edge, condition and provenance can influence an individual collector assessment. Do not infer rarity from the limited number of images in this guide.

Authenticity and condition

Use the actual denomination, both faces, date, mint details, edge, mass and diameter together. A plausible portrait or matching gold color is insufficient. Check an intact specimen with a suitable scale and caliper, keeping measurements separate from the nominal calculator. Worn, clipped, mounted or suspicious pieces need individual examination. Do not clean a coin or damage its edge to test it. These photographs identify representative designs; they do not authenticate a customer coin or assign a grade.

Selling this coin

Group the same denomination and type together, and record quantities, dates, mint marks and any original holders. Supply readable photographs of both faces and a separate edge view when inscriptions or damage matter. Request an appraisal for the actual lot rather than treating the nominal gold total as a guaranteed payment. Keep ten-unit gold, silver coins and replicas out of this entry. The collection calculator can combine separately identified coins while retaining each composition.

Sources and calculation methodology

The calculator retains the five-decimal twenty-unit nominal mass in Article 2 of the original 1865 monetary convention, reproduced in the Swedish parliamentary report. This is historical specification evidence, not current legal or tax guidance and not a claim that an earlier coin was first issued under that convention. Design and issue dates are checked separately against issuer or coin-type references. Shorter catalog weights and the photographed specimen’s condition are not substituted for the nominal standard. Original photograph licenses and transformations are recorded separately. No approved live gold-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable.

Common questions

References

• Original monetary convention, 23 December 1865: Article 2 — weight twenty-unit gold 6.45161 g; fineness 900 thousandths; diameter 21 mm; original shared nominal standard, not current law (checked 2026-10-10)
• Swissmint: older twenty-franc issue and Vreneli specification table — identity; weight rounded 6.452 g; fineness .900; diameter 21 mm; dates 1883–1896; older Libertas design and edge groups; PDF page 3 (checked 2026-10-10)

Issue-year references

• Swissmint: annual mintages and restrike footnotes

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

Related coins

Swiss Vreneli Gold 20 Francs

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

Switzerland • 90% gold; 10% alloy metal

Issue years: 1897–1916, 1922, 1925–1927, 1930, 1935, 1947, 1949

Fine gold: 0.186682 troy oz

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