Numismatikforum

This 1895 Norwegian 1-krone is a decent mid-career example of the Scandinavian Monetary Union’s signature denomination. Of silver .800 fine and 7.5 grams heavy, just like its Danish and Swedish counterparts, with about twenty years down for the SMU, and about twenty years to go.

This 1-krone type was introduced in 1877, dropping the transitional “30Sk” explanatory note of Norway’s initial 1-krone (of 1875), and continuing in production unchanged until 1904.

(It’s useful to note that the “transitional” 1-krone of 1875 belongs to a short-lived double-denominated coin series whose purpose was not, technically, to help Norway’s transition into the SMU, but rather to help Norwegians adapt to their own new decimal Krone of 100 Øre. It might, however, be fairly said that whatever educational benefit Norwegians derived from the 1874-75 series was soon put to use in the SMU, which Norway joined in 1875.)

At any rate, in 1905 Norway gained its independence from Sweden and this 1877-1904 1-krone’s Swedish King Oscar II and its “Brother Peoples” motto (“BRODERFOLKENES VEL”) would be replaced in 1908 by a new 1-krone picturing King Haakon VII and proclaiming “ALT FOR NORGE.”

Silver weight and fineness would remain the same for the new type, so the earlier coins like this 1895 1-krone remained in circulation until rising silver prices forced the debut of a 1-krone banknote in 1917. (I note the wear on this particular coin seems consistent with its having departed circulation about that time.)

Silver prices continued to rise after the war, and while they soon fell back, Norway—not a WWI belligerent—said goodbye to its silver 1-krone nevertheless.

A beautifull coin and very collectible. The dies where made by the chief engraver of the Berlin mint, Wilhelm Kullrich, who at his time did a lot of medals and coins both at home and abroad.
The norwegian coins of 1874 to 75 are not transistorial coins, but belong to an individual norwegian currency, the golden Speciedaler created in 1873 as a reaction to the goldstandard spreading to Germany after the victory of 1871. The new speciedaler broke up into 4 kroner of 30 skilling, while the old silverbased speciedaler was divided into 5 ort of 24 skilling.
Of course it is not an coincidance that the 1874 to 75 coins equaled their danish and swedish brothers and sisters who did circulate in Norway and where embraced by the norwegian public, but as the union treaty of 1873 did not know any transistorial coinage, they can not be regarded as krone and øre coins. Norway entered the union in 1875, minting kroner and øre from 1876, but the 1874 to 75 coins continued as legal tender, now really being kroner and øre and in daily use in the three kingdoms until the consequenses of WWI put an end to the union coinage.

@Mynter

Thank you so much for calling my attention to this fine—but essential—point. In response I’ve deleted my characterization of the 1875 1-krone as a transitional piece issued under the SMU, and after doing quite a bit of reading—I was lucky to find a dissertation on the SMU/SCU that had also been published in English and it helped further my understanding of your point—I’ve inserted the following note, which I hope you’ll regard as accurate….

(It’s useful to note that the “transitional” 1-krone of 1875 belongs to a short-lived double-denominated coin series whose purpose was not, technically, to help Norway’s transition into the SMU, but rather to help Norwegians adapt to their own new decimal Krone of 100 Øre. It might, however, be fairly said that whatever educational benefit Norwegians derived from the 1874-75 series was soon put to use in the SMU, which Norway joined in 1875.)

If you see additional problems, please let me know—on this, or about any other similar mistakes, always, any time—provided you aren’t too busy. I appreciate the insight, and the extra facts.

v.

The educational purpose must have been quit important, and with sucsess. As the 5 sp, 21/2 sp , 30 sk , 15 sk and 3 sk coins had a double denomination, the public got imediatly used to the danish and swedish coppers wich circulated in Norway from the beginning, being spared of calculating the rate between a 3 skilling and a 5 øre coin.
One might say that the norwegian reluctance to join the monetary union was, if not a mistake, et least an unneccessary act of delay of what was to come anyway besides the goldstandard - a fully decimalisation of money.