Catalog
500 Kroner Heilmann type I and II, overprint
| Issuer | Faroe Islands (Denmark) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1940 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of a farmer plowing a field with two horses, rendered in an elaborate intaglio style within a decorative frame of foliate ornamentation. The initials 'GH' for designer Gerhard Heilmann appear at the lower right, and the design is surmounted by a royal crown. A red letterpress overprint reading 'Kun gyldig paa Færøerne' is applied, accompanied by a stamped signature authorizing circulation in the Faroe Islands. |
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| Reverse description | The Royal Danish coat of arms occupies the central field, comprising a shield charged with three crowned blue lions passant and nine red hearts on a gold ground, enclosed within a wreath of elaborate foliate and floral scrollwork rendered in gold and green tones. A royal crown surmounts the shield, and the denomination numerals '500' appear at lower left and lower right flanking the composition. |
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| Comments |
When Germany occupied Denmark in April 1940, the British moved quickly to occupy the Faroe Islands, cutting them off from Copenhagen and the normal channels of currency supply. The Danish National Bank's 500-kroner notes — already in circulation — were overprinted locally to distinguish Faroese issues from those circulating on the occupied mainland, a precaution against currency manipulation or flight across the North Sea.
Two overprint variants exist, designated Type I and Type II, differing in the precise placement and execution of the stamp. The distinction matters to specialists; both are genuinely scarce given the small population the islands were serving and the limited number of high-denomination notes that would have been needed at all.