1986 Danish 10-kroner

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A 1986 Danish 10-kroner struck at København of copper-nickel, 28mm in diameter and weighing 12.50g. What had been a gold denomination until WWI—Krause reports that some of the final type of 1913-17 are still being sold by the Danish National Bank—spent several decades exclusively as paper money before the appearance of a few large silver commemoratives in the late-‘60s and early-‘70s.

The 10-kroner finally returned as a circulating coin in 1979 and remained the high-value in the Danish series for another decade. During that time it was the size and metal of this 1986-dated piece, which was the first and only copper-nickel commemorative in the 10-kroner series. (It does, however, also appear as a silver proof.)

Crown Prince Frederik’s 18th birthday was the occasion being celebrated.

Frederik. Danish kings alternate between the names Christian and Frederik, and Queen Margrethe II graced—well, perhaps not “graced,” because I have read that this portrait was an unpopular one—the obverse of this 1986 10-kroner only because the Danish law of succession was changed in 1953 to allow women to sit on the Danish throne.

So Queen Margrethe took the place of a King Christian, and named her first son Frederik.

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