Denmark – Not to be Confused With the Dutch

Denmark is a relatively small European country, considered by most people to be more associated with Scandinavian than Northern European. Denmark has outsized influenced on its neighbors because of its strong seafaring history. Sweden, Norway and Denmark had been part of one kingdom. Over time, Sweden split off and then Norway and Denmark split. But Denmark maintained control of Greenland, the Faroe Islands and other overseas territories. It is a great country with a vibrant and proud culture. It is also the home of LEGO, so it is a global treasure.

The First Denmark Banknotes

Denmark is part of the EU but agreed to keep the Krone as its currency. The Krone is pegged to the Euro, so keeping the Krone is more about pride, nationalism and keeping its state printing works in business. The Kroner was first established in 1873 as part of the Scandinavian Monetary Union when Norway, Sweden and Denmark shared its currency. As WWI was starting, the Union dissolved but each country kept the name. The Danish banknotes became more clearly associated with their culture and symbols. The 1914 5 Kroner (P-20) shows not only the country name ‘DANMARK’, but also a very large Coat of Arms. Denmark kept the same designs through WWII. In 1944, the designs became a bit more geometric but kept the same elements. 

Changes Throughout the Years

In 1950’s, the designs changed dramatically. The layout seems to be more like a continuous repeating ribbon that is cut into individual notes. The series was called the Portrait and Landscapes Series. The front if each note have oval shaped portraits and the reverse has a large landscape vignette. The 10 Kroner has a portrait of author Hans Christian Andersen on the front. Each banknote was printed in a different color. In 1972 a new series was issued based on Jens Juel paintings. The portraits were based on his paintings, and the use of local animals and plants was introduced. In 1997, the Bank introduced a series based on famous Danish Scientists and mythical allegories- a strange juxtaposition. The 500 Kroner (P-58) has physicist Niels Bohr on the front (smoking a pipe) and a knight fighting a dragon on the back.

The 2006 Bridge Series is spectacular and the favorite of many collectors. Each banknote has a famous Danish bridge on the front and an image of a famous archeological artifact. The 1000 Kroner (P-69) shows the oldest fully-intact Danish artifact- the Sun Chariot. It comes from Nordic burial plots from the Bronze Age (1800 – 600 B.C.) A large image is on the reverse and a small image is on the front. A nice feature is that on the reverse of each note is a map of the country with circles identifying where the bridge is and where the artifact was found. All of the banknotes include the highest security elements.