Vreneli

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Vreneli

Switzerland
Value	Swiss franc
Edge	minted
Composition	.900 gold
Years of minting	1897–1936, 1947, 1949
Obverse
Design	Coat of arms of Switzerland
Reverse
Design	Helvetia
Designer	Fritz Ulysse Landry
Design date	1895

Vreneli (aka Goldvreneli^[1]) is the informal name for a range of legal tender gold coins of the Swiss franc. The coins were issued between 1897 and 1936, in 1947 and in 1949. All coins issued after 1936 are restrikes (legal tender ceased September 29, 1936).^[2]

The coin exists in three denominations, of 10, 20 and 100 francs. The 20 franc coin was produced from 1897 to 1949 with a total issue of 58.6 million pieces. It replaced an earlier design of gold coin minted from 1883 to 1896. The 10 franc version was minted from 1911 to 1922 (total issue 2.6 million pieces), and the 100 franc version was minted in 1925 only (total issue 5,000 pieces). All coins have a purity of 90% gold and were minted to the standards of the Latin Monetary Union.

The name Vreneli was given to the design of a female head in profile by Neuchâtel medalist Fritz Ulisse Landry. A more formal name is Helvetia Head (German Helvetiakopf, French Tête d'Helvetia, as opposed to the Seated Helvetia (Sitzende Helvetia, Helvetia assise) or the Standing Helvetia).^[3]