Hand up if you ever heard of the Faroe Islands? Well, by the end of this blog you might have your hand up to visit the Faroe Islands or at least collect their banknotes.
Faroe Islands Location
The Faroe Islands are equidistant from Iceland, Norway and Scotland. That means it is somewhere between the North Atlantic and Artic Oceans, far away from major population centers. You might think it is covered in ice all year round but in the winter the average low is around freezing but in the summer you’d by lucky to hit 50 F. And it does rain a lot and seems to be pretty windy.
Source: AS
The islands are part of the Danish kingdom and like Greenland are an autonomous zone. The are famous for their seafood- especially salmon. In fact, much of the economy is tied to salmon farming. Given the location, Faroe Islands have never had a massive population or was that important to the European countries. In fact, in the 1500s the King of the Norway and Denmark offered the islands as collateral on a loan from England. King Henry the 8th rejected the offer. He probably wasn’t sure even where it was.
Source: Banknote World Educational
The islands gained some strategic value during WWII. Germany had invaded and occupied much of the western coast of Norway, both to gain access to Swedish steel but also to have winter-accessible naval ports. The Faroe Islands are positioned in the area between Scotland and Iceland that some ships and submarines might travel. During the war and with Denmark in German hands, England occupied the Faroe Islands to maintain a naval presence in the area.
First Banknotes
During the war, the first Faroe Island banknotes were issued. The notes were little more than paper printed with Faroerne Krone but they were printed by Banknote Printer- Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Overprinted Denmark banknotes were also used during the war. After the war, the Faroe Islands began using their own banknotes, issued in Copenhagen. These notes are unusual in that they have no vertical borders. They look like they are printed one across like a narrow web label. These notes were still beautiful.
Banknote Designs
The 1951 5 Kroner (P-13) shows their unique style. There is a medallion-like feature with a ram in the center. The font is closer to calligraphy than normal text, and there is a lot of elegant line work used. The reverse shows a single small fishing canoe in the ocean. The 10 Kroner (P-14) has a deep orange coloring and on the reverse shows a typical farmhouse back-dropped by a rocky hill. These two notes show some of the classic features of the Faroe Islands. Water, fishing, farm cottages and rugged terrain.
Source: Banknote World Educational
We start to see more of the landscape and homes in the 50 Kroner (P-20) where a row of seaside townhouses face a wooden church, and the 1000 Kroner (P-23) that shows a village scene of a stone bridge and cobbled streets. A fascinating note is the 500 Kroner (P-22) from this series. The front shows a fisherman in cold weather gear. The reverse shows these men on a ship. The drawing and overall style is reminiscent of scrimshaw, an artform created by seamen.
Source: Banknote World Educational
Modern Releases
The Faroe Islands are home to many species of birds. Birds finally make their appearance on the 1000 Kroner (P-28) in the 2001 Series. This series focuses on the flora and fauna, especially the ‘sea fauna’. Each animal type is shown in very large portraits- almost as if they are too big for the paper on which they are printed. This series was upgraded in 2012 when micro-optic security threads were added. Also, like the rest of the Faroe Islands, the style and images are unique Uniquely Faroe.
