What is the official currency of Switzerland?

What is the official currency of Switzerland? The Swiss franc. It is Switzerland's currency and legal tender, identified internationally by the code CHF.

The abbreviation CHF comes from Confoederatio Helvetica, the Latin name for the Swiss Confederation. Latin provides a language-neutral label in a country with German, French, Italian and Romansh as national languages. A franc is divided into 100 smaller units, called Rappen in German, centimes in French, centesimi in Italian and rap in Romansh.

Switzerland introduced the modern franc in 1850 after the 1848 Federal Constitution gave the federal government exclusive authority over money. Before then, many cantons used different coins and notes, making commerce complicated. The Swiss National Bank issues banknotes, while Swissmint produces coins.

The euro is widely accepted in many Swiss tourist areas, but it is not Switzerland's official currency. The Swiss franc is also legal tender in Liechtenstein and in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia. Its reputation as a stable “safe-haven” currency is another reason it is frequently confused with a broader European currency.