The 20-franc note of the ninth series is about Swiss creativity, and its key motif is light. It entered circulation on 17 May 2017, second after the 50-franc note, continuing Manuela Pfrunder's series «The many facets of Switzerland».

On the front a hand holds a prism that splits light into colours, while constellations shine above the globe. Creativity is also shown through a film festival, with light projected onto a screen. The lines on the back trace the iris, which regulates how much light enters the eye.

The recurring element of the series is a shimmering globe: across the sequence from 1,000 down to 10 francs the Earth on it turns once on its axis, passing through one full day.

The note is printed by Orell Füssli of Zurich on Durasafe, a hybrid substrate in which a polymer core is sandwiched between layers of cotton paper. Tilt it and a violet arc glides across the globe; hold it up to the light and the Swiss cross turns into a flag. This example is dated 2021 and bears the signatures of Barbara Janom Steiner and Thomas Jordan.

The red twenty is one of the six positions of the ninth series: together with the other denominations it completes the Earth's full turn on the globe, and it is a ready-made story for a «light and optics» theme. UNC condition means the note has never circulated: no folds, no wear, no soiling, even corners — just as it left the press.

If this theme interests you, take a look at the other items in the VPcoins catalogue.