Most of them are lying around somewhere There are 1.34 billion Fünferli, and hardly anyone pays with them

Do you still pay with cash? Cash payments are on the decline in Switzerland. This calls into question the production of coins such as the Fünfräppler.

There are currently 1.34 billion five-rappen coins in circulation in Switzerland, a remarkable increase of 25 percent compared to ten years ago. This increase in the small, golden coin is quite surprising in times of cashless payment, as the SRF writes.

However, many fivers remain in drawers, get lost or are taken by tourists as souvenirs. They often do not make it back into payment transactions as they are not accepted in many vending machines. Fives tend to be considered impractical, as you rarely pay with a five-ruble coin at the checkout or in the parking garage. For this reason, a constant supply has to be brought into circulation.

Fivers were already being abolished ten years ago

Whether a coin is abolished is ultimately decided by the Federal Council. For example, 18 years ago the Einräppler was withdrawn from circulation. The last time politicians discussed the abolition of the Fünfräppler was ten years ago. At that time, there was a motion in the National Council to abolish the golden coin.

Opinions differed at the time: Economiesuisse and the SBB were in favor of abolishing it, while the retail trade and consumer protection were against it. Since then, cashless payment transactions have increased significantly, which is increasingly calling into question the relevance of the five-cent coin.

Cash payments are disappearing from everyday life

Cash is generally becoming less important in everyday life. According to the Swiss National Bank, 70% of everyday payments were still made in cash in 2017. This proportion has now fallen to 36%.

Coins in Switzerland are produced by the Federal Mint Swissmint in Bern. The quantity of coins put into circulation is determined by the Swiss National Bank.

The production costs of the five-rappler have risen in recent years and currently exceed the face value in some cases. In 2023, the production of a five-centime coin cost 6.9 centimes. This year, it only cost 4.8 centimes per five-centime coin. The reasons for these fluctuations are raw material prices and operating costs.

In the current year, 26 million five-centimes have already been produced. That is more than twice as many as last year, but in the long term the number of units is declining.

It is unclear if and when the five-rappler will finally be abolished. Political decision-making is often slow, and parts of the retail trade and consumer advocates continue to oppose its abolition.