Catalog
100 Kroner - Oscar II King Oscar II issue; pattern
| Issuer | Norges Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1876-1877 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 100 Kroner (100 NOK) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| 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 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in red, the reverse is framed by an elaborate guilloche border with the numeral 100 repeated at each corner and at the top and bottom centres. A large open-work numeral '100' dominates the centre field, interspersed with the word KRONER. A left-side medallion contains a bust portrait of a Viking king, while a right-side medallion bears the crowned lion coat of arms of Norway. A perforated printer's imprint reading 'B.W. & Co LONDON' appears in the lower centre field. |
| Reverse lettering | 100 KRONER B.W.&Co LONDON |
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| 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.