Catalog
100 Kroner - Oscar II King Oscar II issue; pattern
| Issuer | Norges Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1876-1877 |
| Type | Pattern or trial banknote |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | NORGES BANK betaler Ihændehaveren af denne Seddel Et Hundrede Kroner Guld 100 HUNDREDE KRONER THRONHJEM AAR |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 100 KRONER B.W.&Co LONDON |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Norges Bank's King Oscar II series was produced by Bradbury Wilkinson at a time when the London firm was consolidating its reputation as one of the most technically capable security printers in the world. The choice to use a British printer for Norwegian state currency reflected both practical limitations in domestic printing capacity and the broader Scandinavian banking habit of outsourcing high-denomination work to established foreign houses.
Christian Christie's involvement as designer is the detail worth noting here. Christie was a Norwegian artist who contributed to several official commissions during this period — his engagement on a Bradbury Wilkinson job suggests a deliberate effort to keep the iconographic content Norwegian even while the technical execution was foreign.
The "pattern" designation places this outside normal issued stock — likely a presentation or approval specimen retained by the printer or submitted to the bank for authorization.