Catalog
5 Kroner 1st version: Serialnumber in bottom
| Issuer | Nationalbanken i Kjøbenhavn |
|---|---|
| Year | 1899-1903 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#1 |
| Obverse description | Light blue and black letterpress print on white paper, with a dense underprint of stylized numeral '5' and repeated text '5 KRONER' forming the background guilloche, interspersed with the royal crown of Christian V. The central panel carries the full text of the legal exchange promise in Danish, flanked by the denomination in all four corners. Serial numbers are positioned along the bottom margin. |
|---|---|
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Denmark's first nationally issued low-denomination paper note, this 5 Kroner was introduced as the Nationalbanken moved to extend paper currency into everyday retail transactions — a denomination previously left entirely to coin. Hans Tegner, better known as an illustrator of Hans Christian Andersen editions, brought an unusual literary-artistic sensibility to banknote design, and his involvement here was deliberate: the bank wanted something the Danish public would find familiar and unthreatening rather than coldly institutional.
The serial number positioned along the bottom edge is the defining feature distinguishing this first version from later issues in the series, where it migrated upward.