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5 Kroner Bear Island
| Issuer | Bjørnøen A.S. |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923-1924 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Paper (Light brown) |
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| 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 | Betalingsmerke utstedt av BJØRNØEN A.S. Mot dette betalingsmerke, som er utstedt for tilgodehavende løn, utleverer BJØRNØEN A.S. til ihændehaveren varer for et beløp av kroner 5 FEM KRONER fra selskapets butik paa Bjørnøen ADM. DIREKTØR KONTORCHEF, BJØRNØEN. (Translation: Payment note issued by Bear Island LLC Against this payment note, which is issued for outstanding wages, Bear Island LLC delivers to the bearer goods for an amount of 5 kroner from the company's store on Bear Island. Managing Director Office manager, Bear Island.) |
| Reverse description | Reverse is entirely unprinted, presenting a plain light brown paper surface with no text, vignette, or ornamental elements. |
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| Comments |
Bjørnøen A/S was a Norwegian company that held a commercial concession on Bear Island — the remote Norwegian territory halfway between Svalbard and the North Cape — and issued its own scrip currency for use by workers at its coal mining operation there. These notes functioned as a closed-loop wage and canteen system, never intended to circulate outside the island's small labor force.
The 1923–1924 issues are genuinely rare survivors. Bear Island's mining venture collapsed quickly, the workforce was small to begin with, and most scrip of this type was redeemed, lost, or simply destroyed when operations wound down.