Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 1/30/2010

Question
Hi, I came across this coin that was my father-in-laws...it has a woman's head on the front, dated 1919 with Confoederatio Helvetica around the edge.  The back has a '10' in the center with leaves of some sort surrounding the 10.  I read that they minted these only in gold, but it has more of a silver cast to it..kind of a light gold??...would appreciate any info on it?  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Jasemine,
You have a 10 rappen coin from Switzerland. In 1919 they were made from a copper-nickel alloy and a few were also made in brass. The only gold "10" coins the Swiss made were a 10 francs, but none were made for the year 1919.
The good news is that it sounds like you have one of the gold colored brass ones. This is a scarce date and in mint condition is worth just as much as a gold coin.
Value starts at around $20 for a decent one and can be as high as $150 for one in perfect condition.
If you would like to post a follow-up question and include a clear picture of the coin, I can give you more specific information on the grade and value.
Thanks for the question! =)