Press releases
8 april onnew 200-krone banknote
– new security features, but same motifs
On 9 April 2003 Danmarks Nationalbank will issue a more secure 200-krone banknote with a hologram and flourescent colours. The motifs remain unchanged, i.e. the portrait of the actress Johanne Luise Heiberg on the face of the banknote and a lion on the reverse. The lion is also featured on the new hologram and in the invisible motif which becomes visible under ultraviolet light. The new enhanced security features will make the Danish banknotes even harder to counterfeit.
Old banknotes still legal tender
The old 200-krone banknotes are still legal tender, but will be withdrawn from circulation on an ongoing basis. For a period the two varieties of the 200-krone banknote will be in parallel circulation.
The upgrading continues
The next banknote with new and enhanced security features will be the 500-krone banknote to be issued later in the year. The 100-krone banknote was the first to be upgraded, and it was issued in November 2002. The entire banknote series is expected to be upgraded with the new security features within the next two years.
More information
The information folder "New banknote security", which was distributed to all households last year concurrently with the issue of the first upgraded banknote, is available at www.nationalbanken.dk under Notes and coins where you can also read more about the new 200-krone banknote and the new security features.
15 april on Danmarks Nationalbank will be closed on 31 december
In future, Danish banks will be closed on New Year’s Eve, i.e.31 December, cf. the press release from the Danish Bankers Association dated 14 April 2003. As a consequence, Danmarks Nationalbank will also be closed on that date. The first time will be 31 December 2003.
The new closing day means that Danmarks Nationalbank will not fix exchange rates and reference interest rates on 31 December.
The Danish part of TARGET will be open on 31 December.
30 april on thematic coin with Børsen's dragon spire
The characteristic spire of the old Copenhagen Stock Exchange, Børsen, with four intertwined dragon tails, is the motif for the second coin in Danmarks Nationalbank's series of thematic coins that have towers as their common theme. Børsen was built in 1618-1624 by King Christian IV to mark Copenhagen's increasing importance as a trading centre. The dragon tails were said to protect Børsen against fire and foe.
The thematic coin is issued as a 20-krone coin, and the motif on the face of the coin is the Queen in profile, facing right, as on the ordinary 10- and 20-krone coins in circulation. The coin is of the same size and alloy as the circulating 20-krone coin. It will be minted in an edition of approximately one million coins, and can be used as an ordinary 20-krone coin. The coin can be purchased at face value from banks and Danmarks Nationalbank as from 1 May 2003.
Governor Torben Nielsen motivates Danmarks Nationalbank's decision to issue thematic coins and explains why towers were chosen as the theme:
"The reason for issuing a series of thematic coins is the wish to introduce new artists to the work of designing coins, so that Denmark will have more artists that master this special art. New motifs also stimulate interest in coins among the general public. Towers have been chosen as the theme since they represent both national and historical symbols. Unlike e.g. whole buildings, they also give the artist a good opportunity to create an interesting coin with depth and a wealth of detail."
The sculptor Karin Lorentzen designed the relief of Børsen, and comments on her work with the coin:
"The tower is a beautiful symbol of artistic extravagance and richness which is not designed to impress by being largest and most authoritative, but which charms us with its delicate, sophisticated form and artful dragons. I have stressed this by shifting the position of the tower in relation to the central vertical axis of the coin, and by placing emphasis on the gaps. It is possible to look through the tower chamber below the dragons, which underlines the lightness of the tower."
The first thematic coin had Aarhus City Hall Tower as its motif and was issued in December 2002. Towards the end of 2003 the third coin in the series will be issued, featuring the tower of Christiansborg Palace.
The motifs for future thematic coins will be chosen on the basis of the many suggestions submitted to Danmarks Nationalbank by the public. Importance will be attached to achieving a certain geographical distribution, as well as architectonic and graphical diversity.