A new design proposal by Marcus Kraft for the next series of banknotes as part of the Swiss National Bank’s invited competition. The concept was ranked first by the advisory board, however a different design was ultimately chosen for the final realization.

Few countries in Europe are shaped as strongly by altitude as Switzerland. Around seventy percent of the country consists of mountainous terrain, a defining characteristic of the landscape that influences settlement patterns, culture, and economic life. As a hard currency, the Swiss franc has long been associated internationally with stability and reliability. The concept connects these two ideas through a single narrative: rock as a symbol of both geographical origin and economic substance.

Each banknote features a stone collected at a specific altitude and photographed at its original scale with maximum precision. Together the stones form a mineral spectrum ranging from river pebbles found in the lowlands to rock crystal originating in the high Alps. Each specimen becomes a portrait of a place and a fragment of geological time.

The reverse sides present abstracted landscapes derived from Swisstopo data. Real locations are translated into compositions of topography, light and form. A strong visual gradation reflects the typical settlement structures of Switzerland’s altitude zones and how habitation adapts to the country’s vertical geography. The concept establishes a dialogue between the two sides of the banknotes: the front shows microscopic proximity through the tactile surface of mineral matter, while the reverse reveals macroscopic distance through the broader view of landscape and terrain. A detailed description of the concept can be downloaded here.

The high-resolution printing techniques used in banknote production allow for extremely detailed reproductions of the mineral surfaces and landscape characteristics. Security features are integrated into the narrative and reference geography, altitude and materiality, ranging from transparent Swiss cross elements and microtext to watermarks, metallic maps, tactile and see-through elements, as well as UV-based contour lines.

Initially more than 300 designers applied to participate in the project. Twelve teams were eventually selected to take part in the invited competition. More information about the development process of the upcoming 10th Swiss banknote series can be found on the website of the Swiss National Bank.