800) Swiss Army Knife - 100th Anniversary of Karl Elsener's passing away (inventor of the original Swiss Army knife): A Silver 20 Franc Coin from the Swiss Federal Mint, commemorate the globally popular Swiss Army Knife : Coin issue date: 10.09.2018:
Some interesting posts on Coins and Banknotes from Switzerland on this blog:
Some interesting posts on Coins and Banknotes from Switzerland on this blog:
The Swiss Federal Mint has lined up for release on 10.09.2018 Silver Collector coins which have been minted to commemorate one of Switzerland's most iconic items which has been used around the world as an ambassador and an example of Swiss efficiency and practical design - the classic Swiss Army Knife.
The Reverse of the Silver 20 Franc Coin featuring the globally popular Swiss knife is showcased against a background picture of an array of Swiss Army knives
On the 100th anniversary of Karl Elsener's passing away, the man who invented the concept of a pocket mechanism with a variety of practical uses and founded the company which has manufactured the Swiss Army knife since 1891, the new coins are dedicated to the idea behind this innovative Swiss invention.
The Swiss Army knife has essentially been coveted and valued by tens of millions of outdoorsmen, scouts, soldiers and anyone who found the need for a variety of essential tools to be at their reach in one device.
Back in the 19th Century, Switzerland was one of the poorest states in Europe. As a result of high unemployment Switzerland faced, many Swiss were forced to emigrate. Whenever a Swiss manufacturer was able to create some factory jobs, his initiative was greeted with open arms.
With this in mind, Karl Elsener (1860-1918), founded a cutlery workshop in Ibach in 1884. He learned his trade during his apprenticeship in Zug and his time as a journeyman in France and Southern Germany.
Karl Elsener came up with the idea of manufacturing soldier's knives which had previously been made in Germany, wanting to manufacture these items in Switzerland now. However, because his new business was too small to obtain orders from the Army, it was for this primary reason that Elsener founded the "Swiss Cutlers' Association". The chief objective of this new Association was to encourage the manufacturing of the soldier's knives for the Army collectively with other cutlers in Switzerland.
The contracts for new soldier's pocket knives were eventually procured and the first delivery was made in the same year. At that time, the compact knife pioneer would probably never have dreamt that his efforts and small enterprise would one day become a world-famous company.
The first types of the soldier's knives were very well made and robust, but also relatively heavy, so Elsener developed a lighter and more elegant knife with even more functions. He called the pocket-knife model the "Officer's and Sports Knife" and had its design and name legally protected in 1897.
Unlike the soldier's knife, the officer's knife did not become official army equipment, but this exclusion did not affect its success in terms of sales and popularity. The "Swiss Army knife", as the officer's knife was referred to for its export market, began to "scale new heights" in its popularity all over the world, especially after the Second World War. Its world-wide popularity had US soldiers based in Europe to thank for its eventual market in the United States and elsewhere. Soldiers would buy them in large quantities as a popular souvenir for when they returned home, passing them on to their young sons in the Boy Scouts. The Swiss Army knife provided several practical utilitarian solutions and became essential camping equipment.
In the 1970s, the knife's resurgence on the souvenir market has helped "Victorinox", the company founded by Karl Elsener to achieve world-wide recognition. "Victorinox AG" is now run by the fourth generation of the Elsener family.
The Reverse of the Silver 20 Franc Coin depicting the Swiss Army knife
The Reverse design depicts the familiar view of the Swiss Army knife, with every tool included in one of the deluxe models, unfolded and spaced apart for inspection.
The knife is super-imposed against the view of the Swiss Alps. The peripheral inscription on the top of the coin reads "SWISS ARMY KNIFE".
On the left lower periphery is the name of the Reverse designer "N. BALTENSWEILER".
The Obverse of the Silver 20 Franc Coin
The Obverse face depicts the design with the name of the issuing country "CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA" shown in the upper half of the coin. the year of issue is "2018" and the denomination of the coin "20 FR" is mentioned below.
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: 20 Swiss francs; Metal Composition: .835 fineness Silver (Ag);Weight:20 grams; Diameter/Size: 33.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated; Maximum Mintage: Proof - 5,000 pieces, Brilliant Uncirculated - 30,000 pieces; Year of issue: 2018
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: 20 Swiss francs; Metal Composition: .835 fineness Silver (Ag);Weight:20 grams; Diameter/Size: 33.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated; Maximum Mintage: Proof - 5,000 pieces, Brilliant Uncirculated - 30,000 pieces; Year of issue: 2018
The Brilliant Uncirculated Coins are limited to 30,000 pieces, with 25,000 coins being included in a blister pack and 5,000 coins in a specially prepared folder.
The Proof Coins are encapsulated and included in a presentation case accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
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