10 Swiss Francs

Considering that Switzerland is at the confluence of Germany, Austria, Italy, and France, it is surprising to know that Switzerland has not been involved in any major conflict since the 16th century. This is because the Swiss have carved out a legacy as a meticulous peoples, so this kind of thinking was also applied when designing the banknotes of their currency, the Swiss Franc.

For this artistic piece of a banknote, they specifically chose the theme of Swiss organizational talent expressed through time and a unique, vertically oriented canvas. Reflecting this theme, the canvas features two hands with a wand and a globe demarcated with the various timezones. Seeing as timezones were born from the need for organized communication across far stretches of land, this inclusion fits the theme perfectly.

Zooming in further, you can see that the hand is made up of various numbers akin to those of a seven-segment display and a tiny pattern of clockfaces composes the background of the note. Just above the white box, there is micro-printed text labeling each timezone and a reflective outline that depicts Switzerland's rail network.

Not only are these features artistic, they also serve to strengthen the security of the banknote from counterfeiting. The demarcated globe uses special ink that changes color based on the angle you view it from, highlighting individual timezones with an orange glow. The clockfaces and micro-printed text are so precise that it is hard for counterfeiters to reproduce, and the reflective outline is overlaid with a holographic security strip where the number 10 is repeated across.