Human faces, part 37: Francis I, “Traitor of Christendom”

Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? In this episode, King Francis I makes a politically necessary decision, which earns him the title “Traitor of Christendom”.

A coin is being made – the Swiss commemorative coins celebrating the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel

It takes much effort and planning until a collector can purchase his commemorative coin that will serve as a memento of an event which – like the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel – will become part of the national myth.