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20 Francs
| Issuer | Bank in St. Gallen |
|---|---|
| Year | 1852 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Francs |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The central vignette presents a pastoral alpine scene with a shepherd resting in a meadow surrounded by grazing livestock, rendered in fine intaglio engraving. To the left, a standing male and female figure are shown with a sheaf of wheat, while to the right a female harvester is similarly posed, flanking the central scene. The denomination numeral '20' appears in ornate cartouches at the upper left and lower right corners, with the issuer's name in Gothic script across the centre. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Blank. |
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| Comments |
The Bank in St. Gallen was one of several cantonal private banks that briefly flourished under Switzerland's decentralized monetary system before the Federal Banking Act of 1881 consolidated note-issuing authority. This particular note was printed by Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., a Philadelphia and New York security printing house best known for producing early U.S. federal currency and postage stamps — an unusual transatlantic arrangement for a Swiss cantonal institution.
Why a small northeastern Swiss bank contracted an American printer in 1852 rather than a European house is not well documented. The firm had a strong reputation for intaglio anti-counterfeiting work, which may have been the deciding factor.