Coins Of Iceland

Coins Of The Kingdom Era

1922 1942

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This Site Is Dedicated In Loving Memory Of My Mother

Halldora Birna Gudmundsdottir Fabian

December 11, 1934 - January 31, 2010

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25 Aurar

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1 Krona

2 Kronur

1940 Proofs

1 Eyrir

2 Aurar

5 Aurar

10 Aurar

1930 Althingi Set

1940 Specimen Coins

ICELAND

Coins Of The Republic

1946 - 1980

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                                          Introduction

    This section of this web site is devoted to the study of Icelandic coins from the years of 1922 to 1942 which is known as the Kingdom era. The Icelandic coin's from this period is very scarce in uncirculated condition and for some years can be just as hard to find in lesser grades. One coin for example is the 1925 2 Kronur which I have not found in any better then a (fine) condition, This particular coin has a mintage of 126.000 coins and the 1929 2 Kronur with a mintage of only 77,000 pieces are much more readily available in all grades compared to the 1925 version.
   There are some different die types and or varieties for a number of these coins for different years and coin types, Some of which are not stated in any book or publications that I am aware of.

The coins produced for this time period were minted at the Royal Copenhagen Mint in Denmark until 1940 when Nazi Germany invaded Denmark. England's Royal Mint in London picked up the production of Iceland's coinage sometime after the British invaded Iceland in May
of 1940 to keep Iceland from the Nazi's even thou Iceland was a Neutral Country. The coins produced from this point on by the London Mint
had no mint marks or distinguishable markings like the Copenhagen minted coin's and because of the lack of mint marks is the way you can always tell by which Mint minted the 1940 dated coinage. On June 17 1944 Iceland declared their independence from Denmark and the London Royal Mint afterwards became the official mint producer of Icelandic coinage.

                                           The First Coins

The first coin that bared the name of Iceland was a 1771 Danish Piastre
from the Copenhagen Mint in Denmark. This coin was not meant to be
used in Iceland or the two other countries, Greenland and the Faroe Isl-
ands but only as a noted possession of the Danish Crown. These coin's
were used for trade in the Far East.
In 1777 Kongsberg mint in Norway also like Copenhagen produce a Piastre that bared the three names of, Iceland, Greenland and the Fareo Islands.
These coins are very rare and only a few examples exist today and lucky
for us Ira & Larry Goldberg's Millennia auction back in May of 2008 had the two coins mentioned here in there auction.   www.goldbergcoins.com

                   1771 Danish Piastre

                                                              1777 Danish Piastre

       The next coins that had anything to do with Iceland was the Danish 1836 IFF 2, 3,
   and 4 Rigsbank Skillings. King Frederik VI of Denmark ordered these coins for use
   in Iceland. The coins were minted at the Altona Mint which is now the suburbs of
   Hamburg Germany and on September 09,1836 King Frederik VI made a official ann-
   ouncement that the reason for the minting of these coins was related to the fact that
   Iceland had a serve shortage of small denomination's in coinage. Even thou these coins
   were made for Iceland they never bared its name.

















Prior to the first Icelandic coins of 1922 merchants in Iceland issued tokens with there names or initials and some were used for ware's at the store that issued them as well as bread tokens good for one loaf of bread at some of the larger bakeries in Iceland.  The first tokens were issued in the mid 1840's to a few years prior to the year 1922.

The Early Danish Rule
Pre 1918 Sovereignty

The Danish State Flag

Introduction

Icelandic Merchant Tokens

  The Icelandic Tokens shown here are from the personal collection of
Sigurdur Palmason from Iceland. Some of these tokens are extremely
rare with only a few examples known. Mr Palmason has graciously pro-
vided me with photo's of some of his wonderful tokens shown here.

The Sigurdur Palmason Collection

Icelandic Merchant Tokens

SIGURDUR PALMASON COLLECTION

The above token was good for one loaf of bread and issued by P.J.Thorsteinsson in a small town name Budardalur. Circ 1900
With only four known to exist making this token one of Iceland's rarist one.

The token to the left was good for one loaf of rye bread and issued
by J.R.B. Lefolii in the town of Eyarbakka. Circ 1900. This token is
more of a common issue and can be found in ex-fine circulated con-dition and becoming much more scarcer in Mint-State.

Another Paul Giamard 1835 wood engraving of Reykjavik, Iceland

Engraving below is of Reykjavik, Iceland in 1835

The engraving below is of soliders leaving the Altona mint after a time of civil unrest in 1858

Above is a colored 1879 Steel engraving of Reykjavik, Iceland

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1. Daniel Bernhoft Store Token. Circ. 1890

2. P.J. Thorsteinsson Store Token. Circ. 1880
Value-100 Aurar

3. Andreas Frederiksen Store Token. Circ.1890

4. V.T. Thostrup Store token. Circ. 1892

5. Magnus Amason Store token good for
one loaf of bread. Circ. 1913-1922

6. C.F. Siemsen Store Token. Value- 16 skilling , I Vare. Circ. 1846

7. P.J. Thorsteinsson & Co Circ. 1900
    Value-25 Aurar
8. Asgeir Asgeirsson Store Token good
    for one loaf of bread. Circ. 1895-1918
9. C.F. Siemsen Store Token. Value- 4
    Skilling , I Vare. Circ. 1846

A 1879 wood engraving of a busy merchant store in Reykjavik, Iceland