Switzerland: Dunant, Dunant

[chrisild]

In 1978 Switzerland issued a 5 Fr commem (Cu-Ni) honoring Henry Dunant, founder of the International Red Cross. Dunant was born 1828, so the theme was the 150th anniversary of his birth. Well, Dunant died in 1910, and guess what commemorative coin Swissmint issued earlier this month? A 20 Fr silver commem dedicated to Dunant ...

Attached are images (from Swissmint) of the older and the newer coin. If you want to view a larger image of this year's piece, look here:
http://www.swissmint.ch/php/mhsCms/apps/mhsUploader/data/t_article/42/UP_UPL_Image1/org/2010dunant.jpg

Don't think there is anything wrong with honoring him twice within 30+ years. But the portraits, well, I don't like either. The first one I find too abstract, the second one ... hmm, what did they do to his eyes?

Christian

[Figleaf]

The Swiss have a limited supply of heroes. Nobody thought of issuing a coin for the 40th anniversary of the death of my Swiss hero: Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Not heroic enough, I guess. Or maybe in 10 years?

Peter

[chrisild]

Somehow I find countries with "a limited supply of heroes" - the type of hero that would be put on a coin - quite sympathetic.

Besides, you can always commemorate other occasions, such as the anniversary of some important political event. Swissmint issues quite a few (too many for my taste buds) thematic collector coins however: famous buildings, mountains, railways ... Fortunately many of them are nicely designed; unfortunately they now - since 2004 - have a uniform obverse.

Hmm, Dürrenmatt died 20 years ago, and maybe they thought that time span would be too short. Indeed, 2021 would be a good time (he was born in 1921) to issue a coin that honors him. As for next year, however ... well, Max Frisch maybe? Another famous Swiss writer, born in 1911, thus 100 years ago then.

Christian