A Rappen (pl. Rappen) originally was a variant of the medieval Pfennig ("penny") coin common to the Alemannic German regions of Alsace, northern Switzerland and south-western Germany. As with other German pennies, its half-piece was a Haller, the smallest piece which was struck.
Today, one-hundredth of a Swiss franc is still officially called a Rappen in German and Swiss German and a rap in Romansh. In French-speaking Switzerland, the modern Swiss currency-unit is called a centime (pl. centimes) and in Italian-speaking Switzerland, a centesimo (pl. centesimi), respectively. Centime(s) is also used internationally or in languages other than the Swiss national languages.[1][2]