500 Krónur Landsbanki Íslands, brown colour

Bradbury Wilkinson printed a considerable share of Icelandic currency through the mid-twentieth century, and this 500 Krónur note from 1948 sits near the top of that relationship in terms of face value. Iceland's postwar monetary situation was turbulent — the króna had been pegged to sterling since 1939, and by 1948 inflationary pressure was already building toward the devaluations that would follow in the 1950s. A 500 Krónur denomination was serious money at issue.

Jón Thorleifsson's involvement as designer is notable; he was one of the few Icelandic artists to work directly on banknote commissions during this period rather than having foreign printers supply generic adapted designs.