The current Swiss banknotes have been discussed before in another thread, but from 2010 there will be yet a newer series.

The winning design can viewed here. By looks of it, i doubt these designs could be realised on paper. They will probably use polymer-based technology like the Australian notes.

On this page you can also view the other entries. The winner is, IMHO, is certainly one of the better entries, my favourite being this one. I find the others either to "loud" or too ugly, especially the ones that rely on photographic-bases images.

Dear god. Blood money (see the 10) and a fetus?????

I really hope they aren't going to make the first prize winners the new money.

More and more currencies use "not pure paper" notes. Cheaper, longer wearing, and allow better security features. You in the business, litespeed? Wondering how you know the designs can't be realised on paper just from a couple of images on webpage!

Will they include RFID tags?

No I am not in the business, that is why I qualified my statement with the opening "By looks of it, I doubt these designs....". If I was in the business I would have made an absolute statement "eg. "I have no doubt that these designs....". But I digress....

I am sure the designs **could** be realised on paper, but the question is which medium does the design better justice. For example, the one I indicated as being my favourite would be great on paper. Others would probably be better on all-polymer. Naturally, the intended security features, plus cost considerations (eg patent licence fees) will also be a decisive factor in the choice of medium.

So you are "in the business" I take it?

Actually, I can see why this design didn't win. The SNB knew that bank staff would be too busy turning them into paper aeroplanes.

I'm not litepseed, but my employer is, so naturally I have some interest

Sorry, re-reading my previous post again it comes across a bit "off". Wasn't intended, it was just late in the day.

Hi Litespeed

Was the winning design a different one to the competition results? The link you provide is for the second place.

...btw I think they look like gift vouchers.

wow, they are like... coop promo vauchers! vomit! i've heared that the second prize winner proposition will be the one they will execute. they should execute the first prize winner too!!!!

I really like the winners. These full colors look beautiful. The others look either too banal and simple or too light. However, I hoped for a more cosmopolitan design. The images still look very "swiss" oriented. But I feel a hint of traditional romance which is, in a way, very conservative. Another indication of national preservation, will of independency and isolation.

The second side looks to imprecise and nervous. They're not very comfortable to look at and get me shaky.

Yes, for some reason the competion winner actually "lost". Second place will be the series going into production.

People weren't very happy with the idea of having skulls on banknotes apparently. The SNB also said that the chosen design will undergo further "thorough redesign" or something to that effect.

As a "pro" I would say that the lady who came 2nd in the competition did a good job (the design that got selected I mean).
All the other entries where SHOCKING and TACKY! WTF was the competition winning entry all about? Jeez he made some BASIC shapes in a 3d software and thought that he was a 3d god?

I wish I had known about this competition Were only Swiss designers allowed to enter? I guess I need to spend less time here and more time scanning CH related info!

No particular opinion on the notes, they seem a bit more modern than the British ones that's for sure...

"I really like the winners. These full colors look beautiful. The others look either too banal and simple or too light. However, I hoped for a more cosmopolitan design. The images still look very "swiss" oriented. But I feel a hint of traditional romance which is, in a way, very conservative. Another indication of national preservation, will of independency and isolation. "

What on Earth are you going on about man...? Of course they are going to be "Swiss orientated", since when banknotes are anything but patriotic...?

Yes you're right. But there are a lot of foreigners working for the swiss economy and I would find it great if they'd do a more international design i.e. like the euro. Still swiss but with a couple of additional european themes on the notes.

We are discussing the Swiss Franc, and not the european Franc. The Euro is a special case, because it is the EU European currency. In order to avoid offending any member states, they weren't left with much more than architechture. Hence it is very plain and boring, and a joy for counterfeiters to work with.

Banknotes are an official government document, and the designs must leave no doubt as to which country they belong. Traditionally banknotes tend to be small history snapshots of the relevant country, with easily identifiable icons. And here it is becoming increasingly difficult to combine neutrality, identity and creativity, and still cover the entire spectrum of icon choices. I mean if you want to acknowledge economic contributions on banknotes, then heck, let go all the way. Some nazi gold bars let say, or maybe the faces of some of the world's despot leaders who hide their billions in Swiss banks. No, it just doesn't work.

The artwork is a secondary function, that must support the banknotes primary functions.

Yep to what Mr Speed said ^

"Some nazi gold bars let say"

Some interesting variation for those chaps who sell the chocolate gold bars...

I personally don't see the need to change the designs of the Swiss banknotes.

They are all clear, concise and individual. They are also better looking than other banknotes i've encountered across the world.

Actually there's two issues here. The first issue is with the artwork of the Euro notes. Yes this was a big compromise and I agree with you that it's very boring. I remember there was also endless arguments about whether the islands belonging to a certain nation beginning with "S" would be included in the map or not. If you take a look the current euro notes you'll see a lot of care has been taken to include islands, even when they fall way outside of the map area! The second (and separate issue) is the printing process itself (hence your comment about counterfeiters). Again this was a compromise but for a different reason - the existing central banks of the euro zone would be left with useless printing presses, as well as a loss of jobs, so they divided up the work and each nation printed a note. The result was that security was as effective as the lowest common denominator...

I tend to agree with you here, except for the fact that the Australian government (or rather the CSIRO) owns the patent on that technology. Other nations have been happy to licence it for their own banknotes, but I seriously doubt that Switzerland would be happy to do so. Hardly good for national pride is it?

One important point to note - it does LOOK as though the colours in use on these notes are too bright for paper. But we are viewing these on our monitors which are capable of displaying colours not possible on paper. It might be that the artist wanted them to look like this, but these colours haven't been adjusted to the ones which will be possible on paper. (sorry, I just double checked and the colours do look darker than I first thought - they may be possible on paper. If your monitor is not colour-calibrated it may be displaying the colours brighter than they actually are)

That said - there is one thing that supports the idea that these designs may be realised on polymer - notice that each note has a circular design that looks like a moon? This type of design, allowing a transparent section, is commonly found on polymer notes.