Catalog
1 Markka
| Issuer | Bank of Finland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1940-1951 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The large numeral '1' is centrally positioned in the upper field, below which the denomination 'MARKKA' is inscribed in bold serif capitals along the lower arc. Two symmetrical spruce branches bearing pinecones frame the central denomination, rising from the lower sides and curving inward toward the top of the field. The design is contained within a beaded border that runs the full circumference of the coin. |
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| Mintage | 1940 - - 84,000 1941 - - 8,966,000 1942 - - 11,200,000 1943 - - 7,460,000 1949 - (fr) Il existe des contrefaçons - 250 1950 - - 320,000 1951 - - 4,630,000 |
| Additional information |
Finland's copper coinage of this period reflects a wartime materials crunch rather than any peacetime monetary planning. The 1 markka had previously been struck in cupro-nickel, but the Winter War and subsequent Continuation War forced substitutions across the coinage — copper was available where alloyed metals were not. The Bank of Finland kept the same dies and simply changed the planchet.
Postwar inflation rendered the markka nearly worthless in everyday transactions long before the series ended in 1951, meaning late-date examples often saw minimal circulation.