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Friday 25 January 2019

906) 100 years of the Swiss National Circus - "Knie" celebrated with the issue of 20 Swiss Franc Coins from the Swiss Mint stable (2019): Issue date: 24.01.2019:

906) 100 years of the Swiss National Circus - "Knie" celebrated with the issue of 20 Swiss Franc Coins from the Swiss Mint stable (2019): Issue date: 24.01.2019:


The National Bank of Switzerland has issued commemorative coins to celebrate the centenary anniversary of the country's most notable entertainment performers - the internationally renowned National Circus "Knie". 

The Knie Circus - Brief  history:

The historical roots of the Swiss National Circus - Knie - go back to the beginning of the 19th Century when Friedrich Knie joined a group of performers and thereby founded the Knie Circus dynasty. Nevertheless, it was around a century (100 years) ago that the Knie family laid the foundation for an unparalleled success story and its fame today.

Friedrich Knie's decision was made to buy a tent on credit and the family celebrated its first show in the 3,000 seater big top on the Schutzenmatte in Bern. This opening show was an immense success and drew huge crowds. The idea of having a circus tent was the basis for one of the world's best-known and most essential circus companies.

Since then, the Circus Knie has been enthusing young and old with opulently staged programmes in its circus ring.

Although the Knie family lived through some hard times, particularly when the public's interest in circuses waned for a variety of reasons, the circus family always found its way out of difficult financial situations, thanks to mutual family support, strong will, visionary foresight and changes in public perceptions regarding live entertainment.

The Circus Knie reinforced its international reputation with various guest shows abroad and innovative shows. Some notable examples were the involvement of the Chinese National Circus (1984), the Moscow State Circus (1988), Mummenschanz (1988) and Cirque du Soleil (1992).

The Commemorative Coin:

The commemorative coins have been minted by the Swiss Mint at their facilities in Bern on behalf of the National Bank of Switzerland. These 20 Franc are the first multi-coloured commemorative coins to be issued in the Swiss Mint's history.

The Reverse and Obverse of the 20 Swiss Francs coin commemorating 100 years of the Swiss National Circus Knie

The Reverse of the Silver 20 Swiss Francs multi-coloured Commemorative Coin depicts a charming colour image of the famous clown figure created by the advertising graphic artist Herbert Leupin (1916-1999) in 1956.

The clown is juggling a stack of letters that spell "KNIE" under the spotlight.

The commemorative years "1919-2019" are on the lower periphery.

The Obverse of the Silver 20 Swiss Francs multi-coloured Commemorative Coin is the standard design on Swiss Franc coins with the issuing authority "CONFEDERATIO HELVITICA" in the upper half of the coin, the year of issue "2019" , the denomination of the coin "20 FR" and the mint mark of the Bern Mint "B" (in the lower half of the coin). All engravings are in a circular pattern.

The specifications of this coin are:

Denomination: 20 Swiss Francs; Metal Composition: .835 Fineness Silver (Ag); Diameter/Size: 33.0 mm; Weight: 20.0 grams; Coin Quality: Proof, with selective colour application on the Reverse; Maximum Mintage: 5,000 pieces; Mint: Swiss Mint at their Bern facilities; Designer: Remo Mascherini (engraver at the Swiss Mint), Flamett; Year of issue: 2019. Date of issue: 24.01.2019; Sales limit: Five pieces per household.

The Commemorative coin is encapsulated and included in a presentation case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA).

The coin is so popular that it has already been pre-sold at the Swiss Mint.









Some interesting posts on Coins and Banknotes from Switzerland on this blog:





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