ROGER PFUND (1943-2024)

 

In Switzerland Roger Pfund is perhaps best known for his innovative, colourful designs for the Swiss passport, introduced in 2003. His idea was for each of the 26 cantons to have its own page with a coat of arms and a landmark.

But his speciality was banknotes, both Swiss and foreign. His modern use of colour, traditional images and computer technology ushered in a new era for currency design.

Born in Bern on December 28, 1943, to Swiss and French parents, Pfund started out as a jazz musician, playing double bass in a jazz trio. But an interest in art led to an apprenticeship with the graphic designer Kurt Wirth in Bern in 1966. He later set up his own studio in the Swiss capital, before moving to Geneva where he developed his business.

The unknown artist's career took off in 1971 when he was invited to design a new series of notes for the Swiss National Bank (SNB). His designs were for the 1984 seventh reserve series and were not actually used. They were kept in the SNB vaults and would have been used if existing notes in circulation had been counterfeited on a mass scale.

But his design work led to growing fame, and some of his foreign banknotes did make it into circulation. These included the last series of French franc bills in the 1980s before the switch to the euro, one of which featured Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Little Prince character, and the Argentinian notes with Eva Evita Peron, the former first lady of Argentina, activist and actress.

He went on to win two competitions organised in 1996 by the European Monetary Institute (EMI) to design the new euro banknotes. But some felt his versions were too avant-garde, and the project was finally handed to the Austrian Robert Kalina.

With his vast knowledge of currency design and security techniques, Pfund became an important adviser for central banks such as the SNB.

When it came to graphic design, he seemed to be able to turn his hand to almost anything: posters and books, Swiss stamps, Swiss REKA checks (a community currency), Credit Suisse debit cards and even tax return documents.

 

 

To read the complete article, see:
Obituary: influential Swiss graphic artist Roger Pfund (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/obituary-influential-swiss-graphic-artist-roger-pfund/73854674)

For more information, see:
https://rogerpfund.com/about
https://rogerpfund.com/security-design

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