Search This Blog

Thursday, 4 January 2024

3141) "Rhône Glacier", Switzerland: “Swiss Glaciers Coin Series”: The Third and Final Coin in the Series: A 10 Francs (CHF 10) Cupro-nickel, Aluminum-bronze Coin released by the Swiss Mint depicting the Glacier: Date/Year of Coin issue: 11.01.2024:

3141) "Rhône Glacier", Switzerland: “Swiss Glaciers Coin Series”: The Third and Final Coin in the Series: A 10 Francs (CHF 10) Cupro-nickel, Aluminum-bronze Coin released by the Swiss Mint depicting the Glacier: Date/Year of Coin issue: 11.01.2024:

 To conclude the three-part series on the theme of "Swiss glaciers", Swissmint is releasing a new bimetallic "Rhone glacier" coin on 11.01.2024.

The Rhône Glacier (German: Rhonegletscher, Walliser German: Rottengletscher, French: glacier du Rhône, Italian: ghiacciaio del Rodano) is a glacier in the Swiss Alps and the source of the river Rhône and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far Eastern end of the Swiss canton of Valais. 

Because the glacier is located close to the Furka Pass Road it is easily accessible.

The Rhône Glacier is the largest glacier in the Urner Alps

It lies on the South side of the range at the source of the Rhône. 

The Undri Triftlimi (3,081 m) connects it to the Trift Glacier

The glacier is located on the northernmost part of the canton of Valais, between the Grimsel Pass and the Furka Pass and is part of the Oberwald municipality. The Dammastock (3,630 m) is the highest summit above the glacier.

The Rhône Glacier is easily accessible so its evolution is observed since the 19th century. The glacier lost ~1300 m during the last 120 years leaving behind a track of naked stone.

Conservation efforts:

For several years, UV-resistant fleecy white blankets have been installed during the warm periods, covering about 5 acres of the retreating glacier to reduce its melting.

 It is estimated that this effort reduces the melting by up to 70%.

In addition to the global implications of increasing climate warming and instability, the local economy is at risk of losing business income from glacier tourists who have flocked to the area since 1870 to walk through "a long and winding ice grotto with glistening blue walls and a leaky ceiling". 

In 2018, photographers Simon Norfolk and Klaus Thymann created a series of photographs titled "Shroud" displaying the wrapped glacier for the charity organisation Project Pressure to draw attention to the glacial retreat.

Bimetallic Coin "Rhone glacier":

The Rhone Glacier, which at the time this coin was minted was 8.00 kilometres long and on average 2.00 kilometres wide, is located in the north-easternmost tip of the canton of Valais in the Goms

This valley glacier originates on the South-west side of the Dammastock massif at an altitude of approx. 3,600 metres. 

The first 2.5 kilometres of the glacier consists of a firn, the Eggfirn, which covers a height difference of over 600 metres. 

The Rhone Glacier is connected to the Trift Glacier via a small pass at an altitude of 3,081 metres. 

The headwaters of the Rhone, the river which flows into the Mediterranean, are also located at the Rhone Glacier. 

The Glacier is easy to reach from the Furka Pass. 

The ice cave, which has been dug into the glacier since 1870 and allows one to visit the inside of the Glacier, is located just below the Furka Pass. 

Like most Alpine glaciers, the Rhone glacier has retreated quite a bit over the last few centuries.

This Silver Coin is titled - "Aerial Cableway - Titlis" and is the second coin in the trilogy on the theme of “Swiss Aerial Cableways”. 

On the Reverse of the 20 Francs Silver Coin is depicted the Rhone Glacier. On the upper periphery is the inscription - "RHONEGLETSCHER um 1867".

On the Obverse of the 10 Francs Silver Coin is depicted the peripheral inscription - "CONFEDERATION HELVETICA. 2024". At the bottom is the coin's denomination - "10 FR".

The specifications of the Silver Coin are:

Country: Switzerland; Date/Year of Coin issue: 21.03.2023; Coin Denomination: CHF 10; Coin Series Theme" "Swiss Glaciers"; Coin Theme: "RHONE GLACIER"; Metal CompositionCupronickel (CuNi) and Aluminium-bronze (AlBr); Diameter/Size: 33.00 mm; Weight: 15 grams; Mintage: Uncirculated: 5,000 units, Proof in presentation case: 2,250 units, Proof in presentation case with certificate from the artist: 250 unitsDesigned by: Remo Mascherini.





Some interesting post Links from Liechtenstein and Switzerland:

Interesting posts on Coins and Banknotes from Switzerland on this Blog:

Alpine Flora Alpine Coin Series:


‎12) Federal Shooting Festival, Switzerland celebrated with the release of Silver 50 Franc and Gold 500 Franc "Talers" or Medals that are valid during the duration of the Festival (issue year - 2019)‎

‎13) 100 years of the Swiss National Circus - "Knie" celebrated with the issue os 20 Swiss francs coin from the Swiss Mint stable (2019): Issue date: 24.01.2019‎



15) "Crocodile" Locomotives, Switzerland: Centenary Celebration: Swiss Mint issues a 50 Francs Commemorative Gold Coin: Coin release date: 09.05.2019


16) "The Art of Brewing Beer" Stamp, Swiss Post: A set of two Stamps depicting two varieties of Beer, popular in Switzerland, issued by Swiss Post: Date of issue: 05.09.2019


17) Roger Federer, Switzerland: A 20 Francs Silver Coin issued by the Federal Swiss Mint commemorating the achievements of the legendary Tennis Player: Coin issue date: 23.01.2020

18) Edelweiss (Mountain Star), Swiss Alps, Mongolia: minted under the series titled "Numismatic Sculptures": Commemorative Gold Coins of 1000 Togrog and Silver Coins of 500 Togrog issued by Coin Invest Trust (CIT) and minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich for Mongolia‎ ‎

19) Federal Shooting Festival, Switzerland celebrated with the release of Silver 50 Franc and Gold 500 Franc "Talers" (or Medals) that are valid during the duration of the Festival: Issue Year: 2020


20) 200 Franc Banknote issued by the Swiss National Bank, Switzerland on 12.09.2019: Sixth and last of the six Banknotes in the Ninth Banknote Series released by the Bank in a phased manner


21) International Year of Plant Health, Switzerland: A Postage Stamp of CHF 0.85 issued by Swiss Post depicting a Japanese beetle eating a healthy plant leaf: Date os stamp issue: 05.03.2020‎ ‎


22) "Social Diversity": Liechtenstein - Switzerland: A Joint Stamp Issue of two stamps by Liechteinische Post and Swiss Post of CHF 1.00 and CHF 0.85: Stamp issue Date: 14.11.2019

23) Orell Fussli (1519-2019), Switzerland: Celebrating the 500th Anniversary milestone of the Banknote and Security Paper printng major with the issue of a House Note



















Aerial Cableway Coin Series:





Swiss Glaciers Coin Series:




Energy of the Future Coin Series:




Posts from Liechtenstein:







4 comments:

  1. Rajan Trikha has commented:
    "Very interesting and informative post👍"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rsanker Sharma has commented:
    Great post. Very inspiring".

    ReplyDelete