The development of the ninth banknote series began in the 2000s when several key decisions were taken. As all of the denominations had proven their worth, the SNB decided to keep the same denominations as in the eighth banknote series. This means that the new series will also feature a 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 1000-franc note.

However, changes have been made to the dimensions of the banknotes in the ninth series. In each case, the width has been reduced from 74 mm to 70 mm. Furthermore, studies have shown that the gradations of length should be smaller for the new notes. To date, the difference in length between each denomination was 11 mm; in the future this will be reduced to just 7 mm. The higher denomination notes in particular will therefore be noticeably shorter than those of the current series. This will reduce wear and tear in the wallet.

The colour scheme of the ninth banknote series will remain essentially unchanged. Experience has shown that continuity in the colour scheme provides valuable guidance for users.

When developing a new banknote series, particular attention is paid to the choice of security features. In conjunction with its partners, the SNB has devised several new and innovative features for the ninth series, including the substrate, the globe, the security strip, the cross and the triangle. Thanks to these security features, which are based on new technologies and processes, the ninth series is extremely difficult to counterfeit.

At the beginning of 2005, the SNB launched a competition for the design of the ninth banknote series, inviting twelve graphic designers to submit their proposals. The task of the competition was to come up with design proposals for the new series, while taking certain technical requirements into consideration. The designs were then evaluated by a jury, ranked and presented to the public at the end of November 2005.

In February 2007, the SNB announced that it would be pursuing preparations for Switzerland’s new banknote series with Swiss graphic designer Manuela Pfrunder, who had been placed second in the competition. After the designs of the three winners were developed further, it became clear that Manuela Pfrunder’s work was particularly suitable for the new banknote series in terms of realisability.