Coin of the Week: 1949 Norway 1 Krone

Obverse (Image: Crowned Monograms)

Reverse (Image: Cross of the Order of St. Olav Collar)

The currency of the Kingdom of Norway is the krone, with 100 øre equaling 1 krone. The krone was introduced in 1875 when Norway joined the Scandinavian Monetary Union and replaced its previous currency unit, the speciedaler.

The 1949 1 Krone was introduced under the reign of King Haakon VII. The border of the obverse has the statement "Haakon the Seventh, King of Norway". This side also includes the monogram of the king in the form of an "H" combined with a "7". The monogram tradition continues today, with the modern Norwegian 1 krone featuring Harald V's monogram consisting of an "H" and a "5". The reverse depicts the collar of the Cross of the Order of St. Olav, an order of chivalry. The collar consists of the Norwegian coat of arms with the royal crown at the top and the cross itself at the bottom. The reverse also includes King Haakon's royal motto Alt for Norge, or "(Give) all for Norway". Though each king can choose his own personal motto, the two kings that followed Haakon VII (Olav V from 1957 - 1991 and Harald V from 1991 - Present) both decided to continue using the same motto. This may be due to the motto's particularly high standing as one of the symbols of Norway's struggle against German occupation during World War II.