From January 30 to February 1, the world’s largest coin show—the World Money Fair (WMF)—was held as usual at the Estrel Hotel in Berlin, Germany. This year’s guest of honor was Swissmint—the official mint of Switzerland. Most other world and major private coining facilities were also represented, presenting their newest releases to collectors and discussing recent technological innovations.
Acclaimed Italian coin designer and sculptor Chiara Principe, who was profiled and interviewed for the Reading Room in 2024, was also a guest of honor this year. She even helped cut the ribbon to open the 2025 show on January 30.
Her recent, high-profile numismatic creation for Swissmint was the talk of the show, where it was unveiled with fanfare. The coin is the 2025-dated, 100th anniversary edition of the most well-known of all Swiss gold pieces: the one-year-only 1925 100-franc Vreneli. That coin is the largest Swiss gold piece and a classic numismatic icon that the Swiss Confederation mint issued.
On February 2, Chiara told the author about her experience at this year’s WMF: “I’m just coming back home from Berlin and it was such an incredible experience. Cutting the opening ribbon of the fair, presenting my coin on the stage of the Media Forum, were such exciting moments that I will never forget and for which I am infinitely grateful. After many years (and nights!) of hard work, such a great recognition meant the world to me.”
1925 Vreneli Gold Piece
The original 100-franc Swiss gold coin being honored with the new issue was struck not “as a means of payment” but was to be given to diplomats and other officials, according to the mint.
Made of 90-percent gold, they had a substantial gold weight of 32.258g. The rising price of gold led them to increase in value over time. 5,000 of these coins were minted, and about 25 percent were melted down for their gold value. Well-preserved examples today sell for between 10,000 and 20,000 CHF (US$11,000-22,000), which is roughly 4 to 8 times their gold value depending on condition.
The obverse features an enlarged depiction of the 20-franc Swiss gold coin that was struck in the tens of millions and played a key role in the famous Latin Monetary Union. Both feature the same front-facing view of Helvetia—the allegorical representation of Switzerland.
Gazing toward the future with the famous Alp mountains in the background, she is crowned with laurel and a garland with the edelweiss flower. The reverse features a radiating Swiss cross above the denomination and year of issue and alpine roses below.
The coin was minted to create a new depiction of the Swiss national motif known as Helvetia that dates to the 17th century. It is part of a range of Swiss legal tender gold coins (10, 20, and 100 francs) issued starting in 1897 that became known as Vrenelis.
But what exactly is a Vreneli? Perhaps the artist who created the design was named Vreneli? No, instead Vreneli is a girl’s name of Swiss origin (a diminutive of Verena) that later became a nickname for these popular coins.
Swiss artist Fritz Ulisse Landry created the now-iconic motif for a design competition in 1895. He is more formally known by numismatists as the Helvetia head design. His original motif won second place because it clashed with the conservative mores of the time. Helvetia’s untamed hair was seen as too young and romantic. The artist subsequently revised the design into the one that is widely known and very popular today.
The new motif had a much more contemporary look than the earlier Swiss coins that feature Helvetia looking like a Roman goddess. But to get it minted, the artist had to further revise his work to make her face a bit more mature and her hair less wild. In Chiara Principe’s view, the Vreneli design was very modern in its shift from the model’s beauty to her “authenticity and simplicity.”
“100 Years, 100 Franc Vreneli”
The new gold goin designed by Principe features, as she noted, “a symbolic allegory of Switzerland, depicted in a stylized woman’s face, which merges with important symbols linked to the nation and the 100 franc Vreneli coin.”
In her comments for the unveiling, Chiara notes that “over the centuries, the perception of women in culture and art has made enormous progress—a topic that is very close to my heart. The design of the 100-franc jubilee Vreneli therefore had a profound symbolic meaning for me as a woman and an artist. I hope that every Swiss woman, in particular, will feel appreciated and celebrated as a living part of Swiss history, culture and life, says the designer.”
Principe also shared her detailed design concept for this gorgeous piece:
My primary purpose for this coin was to create a design rooted in tradition but projected into the future. I wanted to celebrate the gold Vreneli with a modern look, without proposing an alternative but continuing the numismatic journey it started 100 years ago. As a result, the new coin has a contemporary touch but calls back to Gold Vreneli in many ways. I immediately felt a deep connection with this fascinating and mysterious young girl with simple features and clothes. With her authenticity and simplicity, she inspired me both artistically and personally, and I greatly desired to pay homage to this beautiful figure by continuing her story; the woman who embodies Switzerland in the new design has grown up and is more mature and aware than the young Vreneli: she looks firmly straight at us and merges with the Swiss national symbols generated by her features and hair. The new coin conveys the elegance and strong beauty of a country as rich in history, nature, and innovation as Switzerland. It also highlights the importance of coins as historical witnesses and sentimental heritage in people’s lives, just as the Gold Vreneli has been to the Swiss for the past 100 years.
The 2025 100-franc Vreneli gold coin will go on sale on July 1 with a mintage limit of 2,500 coins, a limit of one coin per person and an estimated price (as of today) of 3,500 CHF ($3,840). This piece will have the same diameter and alloy as the 1925 piece.
