50 Kronor - Carl XVI Gustaf Astrid Lindgren

Issued to mark Astrid Lindgren's death in January 2002, this coin was authorized within the same year — an unusually fast turnaround for a commemorative release from the Riksbank. Lindgren had long been a cultural figure of genuine political weight in Sweden; her 1976 public confrontation with the marginal tax rate, which she calculated had left her owing more than 100% of her income, triggered a national debate that contributed to the Social Democrats losing power that same year for the first time in 44 years.