# Berne frank

> former Swiss currency

**Wikidata**: [Q1144098](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1144098)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_frank)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/berne-frank

## Summary
The Berne frank was a former Swiss currency that served as the official medium of exchange in Switzerland before being replaced by the Swiss franc.

## Key Facts
- It was a former Swiss currency.
- Classified as a currency unit within the Swiss monetary system.
- Functioned as a generally accepted medium of exchange for goods and services.
- Replaced by the Swiss franc as the primary currency of Switzerland.
- Documented as a historical currency in global knowledge systems.
- Has a Wikipedia article available in multiple languages (ar, en, es, it, ru).
- Identified by the Wikidata description "former Swiss currency".

## FAQs
**What was the Berne frank?**
The Berne frank was a former official currency of Switzerland, used as the primary medium of exchange before being replaced by the Swiss franc.

**When did the Berne frank exist?**
The Berne frank was part of Switzerland's monetary system during the period when it served as the official currency, though specific historical dates are not provided in the source material.

**What was the purpose of the Berne frank?**
The Berne frank served as a generally accepted medium of exchange for goods and services within Switzerland, functioning as a unit of account and store of value.

**What replaced the Berne frank?**
The Berne frank was replaced by the Swiss franc as the primary currency of Switzerland.

## Why It Matters
The Berne frank represents an important historical stage in Switzerland's monetary evolution, illustrating the transition from one currency system to another. As a former Swiss currency, it played a role in the country's economic development and served as a medium of exchange that facilitated trade and commerce within Switzerland. Understanding the Berne frank provides insight into the historical development of Swiss monetary policy and the evolution of currency systems.

## Notable For
- It was a former official currency of Switzerland.
- Classified as a currency unit within the Swiss monetary system.
- Documented as a historical currency in global knowledge systems.
- Has a Wikipedia article available in multiple languages.
- Identified by the Wikidata description "former Swiss currency".

## Body
### Core Definition and Conceptual Framework
The entity "Berne frank" is defined as a former Swiss currency, functioning as a generally accepted medium of exchange for goods and services. It is classified as a **currency unit** within the Swiss monetary system. The Berne frank is explicitly stated to be a **subclass of** the broader concept of currency, which is characterized as a "generally accepted medium of exchange for goods or services." This classification illustrates that the Berne frank was not merely a physical object but a social and economic institution with measurable units.

### Global Recognition and Documentation
The concept of the Berne frank has been documented across multiple global knowledge systems:
*   **Wikipedia Presence**: The main article `wikipedia_title: Berne frank` is linked across **5 language editions** (ar, en, es, it, ru), as indicated by the `wikipedia_languages` list.
*   **Authority Control**: It has a specific identifier in the German National Library (GND) system: `gnd_id: 4064147-8`, with the German label "Währung" and reference `P143: Q48183` (GND itself).
*   **Freebase Identification**: The entity has a Freebase ID: `/m/02r0vzr`, with references including `P248: Q15241312` and publication date `2013-10-28`.
*   **BabelNet Mapping**: It is mapped to the BabelNet ID `00024507n`, referencing `Q4837690`.

### Distinctions and Related Concepts
To clarify its scope, the knowledge base distinguishes the Berne frank from several related but distinct ideas:
*   **Not a Disambiguation Page**: The main descriptive article for "Berne frank" is a separate Wikidata item from disambiguation pages for terms like "Currency" and "Munt."
*   **Broader vs. Narrower**: It is distinguished from the hypernym "money" and the hyponym "foreign currencies."
*   **Specific Form**: It is distinguished from the specific physical manifestation "coin."
*   **Digital Evolution**: The link `said_to_be_the_same_as: electronic money` connects it to its modern, non-physical manifestation.

### Historical and Academic Sources
The concept's description is grounded in authoritative historical and academic references:
*   **Encyclopedic Sources** (`described_by_source`):
    *   `Lean Logic` (online glossary).
    *   `Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1926–1947)`.
    *   `Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary`.
    *   `Small Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary`.
    *   `Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th edition (1885–1890)`.
*   **Historical Topic Link**: `history_of_topic: Q3137262` (with qualifier `P3005: Galicia`), suggesting a specific historical article or context.
*   **Klexikon Article**: `klexikon_article_id: Währung` (German children's encyclopedia).
*   **National Encyclopedias**: `encyclopedia_of_korean_culture_id: E0064923`, `encyclopedia_of_modern_ukraine_id: 33047`, `encyclopedia_of_china_(third_edition)_id: 527212`, `georgian_encyclopedia_id: 8573`, `banglapedia_id_(bengali): মুদ্রা`.

### Linguistic and Lexical Data
The entry provides extensive lexical information:
*   **Aliases**: A comprehensive list in multiple languages, including `monetary unit`, `unit of money`, `money unit`, `currencies`, `unidad monetaria` (Spanish), `divisa` (Spanish), `unité monétaire` (French), `devise` (French), `Geldeinheit` (German), `つうか`, `お金`, `かね`, `カネ`, `金` (Japanese), `通货` (Chinese), `валюты`, `нацвалюта`, `государственная валюта`, `национальная валюта`, `денежная единица` (Russian), `unidade monetária` (Portuguese), `moeda` (Portuguese).
*   **Lexical IDs**:
    *   `lex_id: valuta` (likely a lexical database ID).
    *   `psh_id: 1488`.
    *   `nl_cr_aut_id: ph115397` (with Czech label `měna`).

### Reference and Authority Control
The entity is firmly anchored in authority control files:
*   **GND**: `gnd_id: 4064147-8` with German label `Währung` and reference `P143: Q48183` (GND itself).
*   **FactGrid**: `factgrid_item_id: Eric Fraser` (with reference `Q90405608` and date `2024-12-11`).
*   **KBPedia**: `kbpedia_id: Currency` (reference `Q64139102`, date `2020-07-09`).
*   **BabelNet**: `babelnet_id: 00024507n` (reference `Q4837690`).
*   **Freebase**: `freebase_id: /m/02r0vzr` (reference `Q15241312`, publication date `2013-10-28`), and a partial ID `/m/019_`.
*   **Nomisma**: `nomisma_id: currency`.
*   **Omegawiki**: `omegawiki_defined_meaning: 347472`.
*   **JSTOR**: `jstor_topic_id_(archived): currency`.
*   **Encyclopædia Britannica**: `encyclopaedia_britannica_online_id: money/currency` (label "currency").
*   **Other Thesauri**: `museum_digital_tag_id: 4576`, `münzkabinett_id: category/currency`.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013