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On 27 May 2009, Danmarks Nationalbank issued a new 20-krone coin with Lightship XVII as its motif and was issued in an edition of 1.2 million coins in ordinary circulation.
History of Lightship XVII
Lightship XVII can be seen at Nyhavn in Copenhagen. It was built in 1895 in Odense. In the first years, it was located at Lappegrunden near the town of Elsinore, but in 1921 it moved to Gedser Reef, where it remained until 1972. The ship has seen a few events in its day. For example, it sank in only a few minutes after a collision in 1954. When it 'retired' in 1972, it was laid up at the naval base Holmen and put up for sale.
Thanks to a donation from the foundation A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal, the National Museum of Denmark was able to acquire the ship and later restore it to its 1972 appearance. This includes the red-and-white hull with the name of Gedser Reef – the last place where it was in active service – on the side.
The motif for the new ship coin was designed by the sculptor Karin Lorentzen, who has created a fine relief with Lightship XVII at sea.
Proof version
In addition, a very limited number of collector's coins, only 1.500 was minted in the very fine proof quality.
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