Norges Bank operated its own printing works from the institution's founding, one of the earlier examples of a central bank producing notes entirely in-house rather than contracting abroad. This issue was printed in Trondheim, where the bank was headquartered until 1897, well before the administrative center shifted to Christiania.
The paper came from Bentsebrug mill, a deliberate domestic sourcing decision that reflected broader Norwegian efforts to keep the currency supply chain free of foreign dependencies. Watermarking at source meant security was built into the substrate before the presses ran.
The "blue print" designation distinguishes this from later reissues within the same Speciedaler series — the color differentiation was functional, not decorative.
Norges Bank operated its own printing works from the institution's founding, one of the earlier examples of a central bank producing notes entirely in-house rather than contracting abroad. This issue was printed in Trondheim, where the bank was headquartered until 1897, well before the administrative center shifted to Christiania.
The paper came from Bentsebrug mill, a deliberate domestic sourcing decision that reflected broader Norwegian efforts to keep the currency supply chain free of foreign dependencies. Watermarking at source meant security was built into the substrate before the presses ran.
The "blue print" designation distinguishes this from later reissues within the same Speciedaler series — the color differentiation was functional, not decorative.