Comments on "Denmark: trial coins from the 1980s"

[brandm24]

Thanks, Christian. I'd thought the heart was just part of the designers signature.

Bruce

[Vincent]

There's quite a flurry of pattern coins from the 1980s. When I take a look in the catalogue that I use for Danish coins (Siegs møntkatalog, 48th edition), the section on modern Danish pattern coins (since the 1870s) takes up twelve pages, ten of which are dedicated to patterns from 1983-90! The Royal mint had obviously dedicated itself to a complete overhaul of the coinage. Several designs were proposed, a number of alloys were tested, experiments were were done with a range of edge reeding variations, and even the denominational structure was considered - a 50 kroner pattern coin was minted in 1983. The authority on this series of patterns is Gert Posselt, who published a study on them in 1989. His work is the basis of the section in Siegs møntkatalog.

There are two reasons why these trial coins are in many cases not impossible to find:

• After the mint had done its work with these patterns, they handed them over to the Royal Coin and Medal Collection. They, in turn, decided to keep a
  limited number of each type and sell the rest - a significant number - at auction.
• In 1990 two further pattern coins (1 and 2 kroner) were minted, between 16.000 and 17.000 pieces of each type. The purpose of these was to lend them to
  vending machine operators so that they would be prepared for the new coins. After being returned to the mint they were made available to collectors and
  dealers.

As for the ornament used on these coins, the Danish central bank is somewhat vague. The websites of both the central bank and the mint (or numismatic office) are in Danish and English, but it's not that one site or language version is more precise than the other ...

"The ornamentation on the reverse is inspired by prehistoric finds."
"På bagsiden findes en ornamentik, der er inspireret af fund fra oldtiden."

https://www.nationalbanken.dk/en/banknotes_and_coins/Danish_coins/Pages/1-krone-coin.aspx
https://kgl-moent.dk/shop/1-krone-2020-ucirkuleret-338p.html

Christian

On both the pattern coins and the coins later released for circulation there are various types of historically inspired ornametation on the reverses, except for 25 and 50 øre. I think FosseWay is right - at least in the case of the pattern 1 krone coin - that it is based on viking age art. The ornamentation on the pattern 2 kroner coin and the circulating 1 through 20 kroner coins are all variations of interlacing spirals. This has a clear precedent in earlier Danish coins, notably the 1, 2 and 5 øre coins of 1913-23 and the 10 and 25 øre coins of 1924-47. I'm pretty sure the source of inspiration for the original 1913 design is bronze age art. I'm less sure about the ornamentation on the pattern 5 kroner coins.

[chrisild]

A late addition, from 1983 this time. That coat of arms with the giants looks very old-fashioned now. When was the last time that it was used on a circulation or commemorative coin?

Don't think that Wild Men design was ever used on a krone circulation coin. I just checked, and found only this commem from 1930.

Christian

[<k>]

Thank you. 1947.

I don't think there was a 20 kroner circulation coin in the 1980s, either.

[chrisild]

Right, that came in 1990 - when, surprise, the corresponding banknote was phased out.

[Pabitra]

Of course, court secretariats and royalty can remodel any mosquito-sized problem to adult elephant size and build a circus around it, but a delay of eight years is about as strange as starting work on a new series when the series current in 1984 had been introduced only in 1982.

I am the one who enjoys this circus the most.
Can we have this under a different topic on when to start working on a new series?
Most recent case is Ukraine, which issued a new series in 2018
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,42002.0.html

And started work on new series in 2020
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,49567.0.html

[Vincent]

A late addition, from 1983 this time. That coat of arms with the giants looks very old-fashioned now. When was the last time that it was used on a circulation or commemorative coin?

Image copyright of Bruun Rasmussen.

The design with the complex heraldic shield flanked by two giants (or whatever you want to call them) is copied from large silver coins and gold coins from the mid-19^th century, although there are some earlier cases of the use of comparable designs.

The complex shield was last used on King Frederik IX's coins of 1972. The King passed away that year and the throne was inherited by Princess Margrethe. Some of the titles represented by heraldic symbols in the shield used during Frederik IX's reign cannot be inherited by a female successor, which explains why the shield used on the 1973 coins is simpler than that used on the 1972 coins. Queen Margrethe simply has fewer titles than Frederik IX. That raises the question as to why the mint would even design a coin with the older shield in 1983...

[Figleaf]

Though a widespread European phenomenon in tales and legends, I suspect that the Danish giant wild man with the club originated in Braunschweig, where it figures alone or as shield supporter on several of its coins. There were deep forests in the Harz area and legend had it that the wild man was roaming them. The town of Wildemann in the Harz was named after him by people who claimed they had met him and his wife. In reality, the Harz was populated by fugitives, especially thieves, robbers, escaped prisoners and women who feared being accused of witchcraft.

Peter

[Figleaf]

The GP numbers occur in a coin catalogue by Frovin Sieg (likely Norden). I gave my copy away, so I can't check. Sorry. The P probably stands for PRØVEMØNT (pattern).

Peter

[chrisild]

Margrethe II, Pattern, 20 kroner 1984.

GP 23 - 51 specimens produced cf. GP.

Apparently (I could, as usual, be wrong ...) this "GP" is short for "Gaveprotokol".
That would be some gift list/protocol, see here for example.

Or do a search at that website.