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50 Kroner Great Norwegian Spitsbergen Coal Company
| Issuer | Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani Aktieselskap |
|---|---|
| Year | 1957-1973 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Typeset letterpress payment note printed in green on white paper, with a decorative border running the full perimeter. The issuer's name, Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani Aktieselskap, is set in bold blackletter gothic type across the upper portion, above the large denomination numeral and written value '50 = femti kroner' centred in the note field. Series designation and serial number occupy the upper corners, with multi-line regulatory text in the lower half and two manuscript signatures above their respective printed titles at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely unprinted white paper save for the denomination '50 kr.' rendered in large, bold green letterpress numerals and abbreviation centred in the middle of the field. A faint blue fibre pattern is visible within the paper stock, constituting the sole security element of this utilitarian scrip note. |
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| Comments |
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani — still operating today — ran Longyearbyen as a company town well into the postwar decades. Norway maintained sovereignty over Svalbard under the 1920 Treaty, but the archipelago exists outside the Norwegian customs area, which created genuine practical problems for currency. Rather than use Norwegian kroner, the company issued its own scrip redeemable only within the settlement, controlling the local money supply entirely. Workers were paid in company currency, spent it at company stores, and had little opportunity to do otherwise.
The reverse designation "SN49r" indicates a recognized variety within this series — likely a printing or serial number distinction rather than a separate issue date.