Set Description:
Whether you’re a tourist buying ceramics in Vaduz or a Liechtensteiner buying ingredients for your dinner at a local grocery, you’ll pay for your purchases in Liechtenstein with Swiss francs. In fact, the Swiss franc has been the sole coin of the realm since 1924. Before then, Liechtenstein, a landlocked country situated between Austria and Switzerland, was closely associated with Austria and its manifestations as the Austrian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Not surprisingly, Liechtenstein officially used Austrian money, denominated in krone and heller (100 heller=1 krone), up until 1920.
After the defeat of Austria-Hungary in WWI, Liechtenstein entered a monetary transition period where the Austrian krone was replaced in commerce by the Swiss franc. It was during this transition that Liechtenstein produced its only issue of paper money.
In 1920, Liechtenstein printed Furstentum Liechtenstein Gutscheine (Duchy of Leichtenstein Credit Notes) in denominations of 10 heller (P1), 20 heller (P2) and 50 heller (P3). These small-change notes were emergency issues designed to replace Austrian coins then in circulation. The notes circulated from 1920-1923. In 1924, the now dominant Swiss franc became the only officially recognized currency in Liechtenstein.
It's a straightforward and fun country collection to assemble: Three easy to obtain notes and you have them all. The 1980 monetary treaty with Switzerland prohibits Liechtenstein from ever printing anymore notes.
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