Swiss 50-franc note to be issued from 12 April 2016

The day when the world can see the new Swiss banknotes is finally coming! The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has announced that the first note of the new series, the 50-franc note, will be issued on 12 April 2016. From a statement for the press:

"On 14 August 2015, the SNB announced that it would begin issuing the new Swiss banknote series in April 2016. The first denomination to be released will be the 50-franc note. Today, we can announce the exact issue date. The new 50-franc note will be presented to the public for the first time at a news conference on 6 April 2016, and will first be issued on Tuesday, 12 April 2016. The new notes will be put into circulation continuously from that date onwards. A large-scale information campaign will inform the general public about the new note and on ways to check its authenticity. The remaining banknotes in the series will be issued subsequently at half-yearly or yearly intervals. The SNB will announce each new issue date well in advance. The current eighth banknote series will continue to be legal tender until further notice. The date on which the current series is to be withdrawn from circulation will also be announced well in advance."

The new Swiss banknote series has had lots of delays and difficulties during production. But now it seems we can finally see if the new banknotes look anything like the beautiful winning drafts from designer Manuela Pfrunder.