5 francs 1951
Market Prices
20 salesAbout This Note
This is a Swiss 5 Francs banknote from 1951 (Pick P-11o), issued by the Schweizerische Nationalbank in Very Fine condition. The note displays exceptional print quality with crisp, detailed engraving throughout both sides, featuring an ornate oval portrait of a bearded historical figure on the obverse and an elaborate decorative design centered on a large numeral '5' on the reverse. The note exhibits no significant wear, creases, or tears, making it an attractive example of mid-20th century Swiss currency design with strong security printing evident in its fine-line geometric and floral patterns.
Common. The eBay price tracking data shows consistent sales of VF-graded examples in the $4-$11 range over the past 15 years, with typical VF specimens selling for $5-$9. The catalog 2016 valuation of $6 for Fine examples further confirms this note's availability and market commonality. While professionally graded examples (PMG 65+) command higher prices ($45-$113), the ungraded VF specimen shown here represents standard market circulation and is typical of the large print runs issued by the Swiss National Bank in 1951. The existence of eight cataloged varieties (P-11c through P-11s) suggests a substantial production run across multiple series and denominations.
This 1951 issue represents the post-World War II reconstruction period of Switzerland, when the Swiss National Bank was reasserting its monetary authority and security practices. The note's trilingual inscriptions (German, French, and Italian) reflect Switzerland's political structure as a multilingual federal state and its commitment to representing all linguistic communities equally. The formal date of February 22, 1951, and the official signatures of the Bank Council President, Chief Cashier, and Board Member underscore the institutional gravity of currency issuance during Switzerland's transition into its modern economic era.
The obverse features a prominent oval portrait of a bearded gentleman in historical costume positioned on the left side, likely representing a significant figure in Swiss history or mythology. The center of the note displays the trilingual institutional designation of the Swiss National Bank with ornamental Swiss shields featuring white crosses. Three signature lines at the bottom represent the authorized officials responsible for the note's issuance. The reverse presents a highly symmetrical, elaborate design dominated by a large ornate oval containing the numeral '5' in the center, with smaller '5' denominations positioned in all four corners. Ornamental eagle or bird designs appear in decorative corner medallions. Throughout both sides, intricate geometric and floral security patterns form the background, with fine-line engraving creating complex layered decorative borders that enhance both aesthetics and security.
FRONT SIDE: 'SCHWEIZERISCHE NATIONALBANK' (Swiss National Bank in German), 'BANQUE NATIONALE SUISSE' (Swiss National Bank in French), 'BANCA NAZIONALE SVIZZERA' (Swiss National Bank in Italian), 'FÜNF FRANKEN' (Five Francs in German), 'CINQ FRANCS' (Five Francs in French), 'CINQUE FRANCHI' (Five Francs in Italian), 'Gesetzgebung über die Schweiz Nat. Bank' (Legislation concerning the Swiss National Bank), 'Bern und Zürich, 22. Februar 1951' (Bern and Zurich, February 22, 1951), 'Der Präsident des Bankrates:' (The President of the Bank Council:), 'Der Hauptkassier:' (The Chief Cashier:), 'Ein Mitglied des Direktoriums:' (A Member of the Board of Directors:), 'SERIE 52 H' (Series 52 H), 'No 06374' and 'D 06374 Z' (serial number identifiers). BACK SIDE: 'SCHWEIZERISCHE NATIONALBANK' (Swiss National Bank), 'SUISSE BANCA NAZIONALE SVIZZERA' (Switzerland, Swiss National Bank in French and Italian), '5' (denomination numeral repeated in all four corners).
This note was produced using intaglio/engraved printing, the standard security printing method for Swiss banknotes of this era. The fine-line geometric patterns, detailed portrait work, and crisp security engraving throughout indicate production by Switzerland's principal banknote printer during this period. The intricate multi-color printing visible in the visual analysis (cream/beige underprint with brown, gray, and black overprinting) demonstrates the sophisticated color separation and registration techniques employed by Swiss security printers in the early 1950s.
This specific note is identified as Pick P-11o, Series 52 H, with serial number 06374 (identifier code D 06374 Z). The Pick catalog identifies eight distinct varieties for the base 5 Francs 1951 denomination, with P-11o representing one of the mid-range variants in that series. The series designation '52 H' and the February 22, 1951 date are consistent with the official issue date. The combination of series, signature block, and serial number prefix indicates this note belongs to the standard production run of the first post-war issue of Swiss 5 Francs notes.
