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10 Øre Great Norwegian Spitsbergen Coal Company
| Issuer | Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani Aktieselskap |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938-1942 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Plain cream paper note printed in black letterpress with a large green underprint of the denomination numerals '10 øre' occupying the central field. The issuer's name 'Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani' is set in bold display type across the upper portion, below which a block of Norwegian text sets out the terms of use and validity restricted to the 1941/42 season. Series designation 'Æ' appears at upper left, a serial number box at upper right, and two manuscript signatures appear at the foot above the printed titles 'Styrets formann' and 'Kontorsjef, Spitsbergen'. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Entirely unadorned cream paper reverse, carrying only a large bold letterpress inscription '10 Øre' in heavy outlined type centred on the note, with no further vignette, border, or underprint. |
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| Comments |
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani operated the mining settlement of Longyearbyen on Svalbard under a near-total company-town model — workers were paid in scrip redeemable only at company-run facilities on the island. This made ordinary Norwegian currency largely irrelevant in daily transactions. The 10 Øre denomination is the smallest in the series, used for minor canteen purchases where coins would have been impractical to ship and store at that latitude.
The 1938–1942 date range straddles the German occupation of Svalbard, during which the settlement was evacuated and later shelled. Whether notes from the later end of this window saw any actual use before evacuation is genuinely uncertain.