Switzerland. Latest Silver Commemorative Coins Feature Avant-Garde Swiss Artist Jean Tinguely

The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of Jean Tinguely's birth, and his artistic legacy is going to be celebrated throughout the year. Jean Tinguely (1925–1991) was a Swiss artist known for his kinetic sculptures and poetic machines. Born in Fribourg, he shaped the art world with his playful and critical approach, creating moving works from recycled materials that combine sound, mechanics, and aesthetics. His iconic works, as well as his collaborations with other well-known artists of the day made him a central figure in contemporary art. Some of Tinguely's most notable sculptures satirised automation and the technological overproduction of material goods, making him one of the most influential Swiss artists of the 20th century. For Tinguely, the machine and its many components was much more than just a mechanical object, as it embodied humour, poetry and the constant movement of life. His works, which oscillate between wisdom and madness, continue to inspire contemporary art today.

The obverse of the coin features an element of Heureka, the iconic sculpture created for the 1964 Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne and now located in Zurich. This work, composed of intertwined wheels and mechanisms, perfectly illustrates Tinguely's vision of breaking traditional art codes through the integration of new materials. The name JEAN TINGUELY is featured at the top in a collage style of different fonts and sizes, a nod to one of his favourite artistic techniques. The year of his birth 1925 is placed just under the artist’s name to mark his 100th birthday. Below the primary design is the name of the sculpture HEUREKA 1964. The reverse features a re-worked front-facing portrait of Jean Tinguely, drawn with contours that outline his face. This graphic design evokes his artistic universe in which lines, shapes and mechanical structures combine to create works in constant motion. Encircling the primary design is the text CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA 2025 along with the B mintmark denoting the Berne Mint and separated at the top by the Swiss cross found on the country’s flag and national crest. Below the design is the denomination 20 FR and the coins’ silver fineness of 999.9. The coins include the raised edge inscription in Latin DOMINUS PROVIDEBIT (The Lord will provide) along with thirteen five-pointed stars.

Available from the 22^nd May, The BU coin is available encapsulated, the proof versions are encapsulated and presented in a custom case accompanied with a numbered certificate of authenticity. *The new Collector's Edition Jean Tinguely special commemorative coin in proof quality is numbered on the obverse with a numbered certificate. These 1000 pieces were offered in special packaging at the Bern Coin Fair, which was held on the 17th May at the BERNEXPO site. For additional information, please visit the online e-webshop of the Swiss Mint.