Swiss Libertas Helvetia Gold 20 Francs
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
Switzerland • 90% gold; 10% alloy metal
Issue years: 1883, 1886–1896
Fine gold: 0.186682 troy oz
Switzerland • 20 Swiss francs
Swiss Vreneli Gold 20 Francs
Swiss Vreneli Gold 20 Francs is a .900 gold twenty-unit coin. The nominal monetary standard is 6.45161 g gross, 5.806449 g fine gold and approximately 0.186682 troy oz. This is the twenty-franc mountain-portrait Vreneli. The illustrated 1916 specimen shows the ordinary portrait and shield/oak design; it does not represent the ten-franc floral reverse or prove an edge variety.
CoinInvest GmbH; CC BY-SA 4.0; resized WebP · Image source · CC BY-SA 4.0 — photograph license
StoneX Bullion GmbH; CC BY-SA 4.0; resized WebP · Image source · CC BY-SA 4.0 — photograph license
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
Verified coin specifications
- Country
- Switzerland
- Face denomination
- 20 Swiss francs
- Composition
- 90% gold; 10% alloy metal
- Gross weight (grams)
- 6.45161
- Fineness
- 0.9
- Diameter (mm)
- 21
- Edge
- Stars or postwar inscription; verify issue
- Mint
- Swissmint; facility or issue varies
- Mint mark
- B; L1935 on some postwar strikes
- Issue years
- 1897–1916, 1922, 1925–1927, 1930, 1935, 1947, 1949
L 1935 restrikes retain the 1935 face date but were struck in 1945–1947. The 1947 and 1949 dated issues are distinct from that retained date. Experimental ten-franc pieces and other denominations are outside this profile.
- Source precision
- Original convention nominal standard 6.45161 g, .900 gold, 21 mm. Swissmint displays 6.452 g and PCGS examples display 6.4516 g; these are shorter reference precisions. No fine-ounce override is invented. Earlier issue identity and design are independently classified, rather than attributed retroactively to the 1865 treaty.
Calculate this coin’s metal content
Formula: gross grams × fineness ÷ 31.1034768 × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
Obverse: identify the front
Helvetia faces left with braided hair, a mountain background and HELVETIA above. The portrait has visible clothing and floral detail below the neck. Compare the mountain scene with the older Libertas diadem type before grouping Swiss coins.
Reverse: identify the back
20 and FR flank the Swiss shield over oak branches; 1916 and B are below. The date and denomination are central checks. Preserve the small lower-area marks in customer photographs rather than cropping them away.
History and purpose
Swissmint gives the twenty-franc Vreneli issue period as 1897–1949. Its guide names Landry’s model and Tasset’s original dies. The type succeeded the older Libertas coin while retaining the twenty-franc standard; an apparent design change does not double or halve the gold content.
How to identify this variant
Confirm the mountain portrait, shield/oak reverse, 20 FR and approximately 21 mm diameter. Ten-franc Vreneli pieces are smaller and have a different reverse. Read the actual denomination instead of using screen image size or the shared portrait as a weight proxy.
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
An added L occurs with the 1935 date on postwar strikes. The 1947 and 1949 edges use a dated-law inscription instead of the earlier stars. Record those details separately: the illustrated 1916 faces cannot identify a different coin’s edge or actual strike date.
Melt value versus collector value
Preserve provenance for unusual dates, marks or special strikes and avoid cleaning portrait details. A correctly identified nominal standard describes gold content, while individual condition and issue attribution require a separate valuation. The corporate photograph credits shown for the two sides do not imply an endorsement of CashForCoins.
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
Is a Vreneli 10 francs the same calculator entry?
No. Read the denomination. The smaller ten-franc coin has approximately half the nominal gold and a different reverse.
What does an L beside 1935 mean?
Swissmint identifies that added letter on particular postwar strikes bearing the 1935 date. Record it and preserve provenance rather than assuming the face year equals the striking year.
Do matching twenty-franc gold standards mean Libertas and Vreneli are the same type?
No. Their nominal metal standards match, but portrait, period and edge details distinguish the types for identification and appraisal.
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: Vreneli designs and issue distinctions — identity; weight rounded 6.452 g; fineness .900; diameter 21 mm; dates twenty francs 1897–1949; design mountain portrait/shield and oak; B, L1935 and postwar edge distinctions; PDF pages 2–3 (checked 2026-10-10)
Issue-year references
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
Related coins
French Marianne Rooster Gold 20 Francs
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
France • 90% gold; 10% alloy metal
Issue years: 1899–1914
Fine gold: 0.186682 troy oz
Have this coin or a collection?
Photographs can help identify your coin. An appraisal may consider authenticity, condition and collector demand as well as metal content.
Request a photo appraisal View current gold coin buying information
