20 francs - Cern

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, is the most powerful research tool of its kind. In the 27-kilometre-long underground ring accelerator on the French-Swiss border, protons are accelerated to almost the speed of light and made to collide. The analysis of these collisions provides a deeper understanding of the fundamental structure of matter and how the Universe works. By issuing the CERN silver coin, Switzerland is honouring its important role in cutting-edge international research. The coin emphasises Switzerland's important contribution to this pioneering scientific institution, which has become the hub of global particle physics since it was founded in 1954.