Catalog
12 Skilling Skillemynt
| Issuer | Regjeringens Kommission (Government Commission of Norway) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1810 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Letterpress-printed note in black ink on plain paper, with the serial number at the top and the denomination stated below it. An impressed (dry-stamp) royal coat of arms occupies the upper right area, serving as the primary security device. The lower half carries the promissory and statutory text in period Danish-Norwegian script, including the anti-counterfeiting warning, with handwritten authorising signatures at the foot. |
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| Obverse lettering | No. 214579A 12 Skilling Udſtedt med Kongelig aller- naadigſt Tilladelſe for Tolv Skilling. Christiania. 1810. Efter Regjerings - Commiſſionen Autoriſation. Hvo, som eftergjør eller forfalsker denne Seddel, straffes paa Ære, Liv og Gods. (Translation: Issued with Royal most merciful permission for 12 Skilling. Christiania. 1810. By the authority of the Government Commission. Whoever counterfeits or falsifies this note shall be punished in honour, life and property.) |
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| Comments |
Norway's Government Commission began issuing paper currency in 1807 after the British naval blockade severed Denmark-Norway from its financial lifelines, creating an acute coin shortage that forced Christiania to improvise. The Skillemynt — literally "change money" — denominations were emergency fractional notes intended to substitute for the copper and silver small coin that had effectively vanished from circulation. The 12 Skilling sits at an awkward middle denomination within that series, neither the smallest nor large enough to function as a significant transaction instrument.
The embossed stamp was the primary authentication device, a deliberate choice given the rudimentary local printing infrastructure available in Christiania at the time. Forgery was a recognized concern even at these low face values.