Swiss National Bank (SNB) Requirements

Requirements

Swiss banknotes are traditionally required to meet high standards with respect to their security, artistic design and functionality. Like maps, they are a fascinating symbiosis of aestheticism and sophisticated technology.

When designing a new banknote series, there are three different requirements to be considered. First, the banknote must meet the security requirements. With the help of securities features, the public should be able to recognise genuine banknotes easily and to identify counterfeits. These security features must be difficult to forge. The rapid development of reproduction technology forces the SNB to ever-new adjustments of security features. Second, the banknote must be user-friendly. Users want banknotes that are easy to handle and to distinguish. They should also be tough and available in practical denominations. Third, banknotes should be aesthetically pleasing. The designer of a banknote, therefore, must try to reconcile the artistic design with the technicalities of user and security requirements.