Image: 5 CHF 1908 140273

Description: Switzerland. AR 5 Swiss francs (37mm, 25.14 g, 6h). Bern mint. Dated 1908 (series issued 1888–1916). Diademed and wreathed female head left Shield with coat of arms, star above, 5 F across field, all within wreath. Mintmark B KM 34 The vertical hatching indicates heraldic tincture (gules), but also establishes the proportions of the cross, 14 bars along the length of an arm, and 12 bars along the width, establishing a 7:6 ratio. This design of the Swiss cross had been seen in coins since 1826, but other designs preferred a cross of five equal squares, and the decision was discussed controversially in 1888/1889 triggered by the issue of this coin. The Federal Council in November 1889 proposed the official definition of the 7:6 proportion of the Swiss cross in November 1889, ratified by the Federal Assembly on 12 December 1889. The shape of the heraldic shield, on the other hand, was deliberately left unspecified.
Title: 5 CHF 1908 140273
Credit: [1]
Author: Karl Schwenzer (1888 design); Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. (photograph)
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