Swiss coins commemorate Roger Federer and Albert Einstein

Swissmint held a pre-sale for its Roger Federer commemorative coin on December 2, 2019. Swissmint

Another 37,000 coins featuring tennis star Roger Federer – the first living person to receive that honor – went on sale on Thursday, according to Swissmint. Also up for grabs is the “smallest gold coin in the world” inspired by Albert Einstein and a bimetallic coin featuring the European hare. 

“Roger Federer is probably Switzerland’s most successful individual sportsman, the world’s greatest tennis player and the perfect ambassador for Switzerland,” noted the Bern-based coin maker. 

A pre-sale of the commemorative coin quickly sold out in December 2019. An additional 40,000 silver coins in uncirculated quality along with 10,000 Federer gold coins with a different motif will go on sale in May 2020. 

Swissmint also unveiled two other coins on Thursday: a tiny gold coin imprinted with the face of Albert Einstein and the second edition of the three-part series “Swiss Forest Animals.”   

Einstein, who is best known for the theory of relativity which he developed in 1905 when employed by the patent office in Bern, came to Switzerland at the age of 17 and completed his education in the country. Swissmint

The 1/4 franc gold coin has a diameter of 2.96 mm and a weight of 0.063. It features the iconic image of the scientist sticking his tongue out. Einstein came up with the world’s most famous formula (E = mc2) and became a Swiss citizen in 1902. 

Along with coins for everyday transactions, the Federal Mint Swissmint regularly issues commemorative coins and coinage of a higher standard for the collectors’ market.  

Commemorative coins bear an official, state-guaranteed, nominal value and are available in various minting qualities. They can be gold, silver or bimetallic. 

The European hare can reach a speed of up to 70 km/h. Swissmint