Special coin series

Over the years, Danmarks Nationalbank has issued thematic coins and commemorative coins, which are all Danish coins with a special motif. The thematic coins were issued in the period 2002-2013 and have common themes, e.g. scientific theories or towers. The commemorative coins are issued in connection with special royal occasions. For example, the accession of a new monarch, a royal jubilee or a royal wedding. All the thematic and commemorative coins are legal tender and can be exchanged at Danmarks Nationalbank at face value.


Commemorative coins

Danmarks Nationalbank has a tradition for issuing commemorative coins to mark special occasions in the Royal Family. Commemorative coins, like ordinary 10 and 20-krone coins, have a portrait of the sovereign on the obverse side. The difference from the ordinary coins is that the portrait on the commemorative coins has been specially made for the occasion. The commemorative coins are issued, for example, on the accession of a new monarch or to mark a royal wedding, a silver or gold wedding anniversary or a milestone birthday.

14 January 2022: The Queen’s Golden Jubilee

On the occasion of HM Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary) on 14 January 2022, a 500-krone silver coin was issued as well as a 20-krone coin for circulation.

The special portrait – inspired by paper cuttings – shows the Queen in profile in a modern and minimalist form to convey her iconic status. The portrait was made by the sculptor Kathrine Moseholm.

The focal point of the motif on the reverse is an organic pattern created by the number 50 to symbolise the celebration of the Golden Jubilee. The pattern calls to mind the four palaces that make up Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. At the centre, the Queen’s monogram is encircled by the pattern in a tight composition. Texts are placed along the axes. The reverse was designed by Danmarks Nationalbank’s graphic designer Jeanette Skov Jensen.

The special portrait – inspired by paper cuttings – shows the Queen in profile in a modern and minimalist form to convey her iconic status. The portrait was made by the sculptor Kathrine Moseholm.  

The focal point of the motif on the reverse is an organic pattern created by the number 50 to symbolise the celebration of the Golden Jubilee. The pattern calls to mind the four palaces that make up Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. At the centre, the Queen’s monogram is encircled by the pattern in a tight composition. Texts are placed along the axes. The reverse was designed by Danmarks Nationalbank’s graphic designer Jeanette Skov Jensen.

Technical specifications

500-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The portrait shows the Queen in profile, facing right. It was made by the sculptor Lis Nogel. Around the rim it says “Margrethe II Danmarks Dronning”. In addition, there is a heart, which is the mint mark of the Royal Danish Mint.

The reverse shows a motif based on symbols for the Queen’s motto and refers to her artistic work: a heart encircled by 12 pairs of scissors. The motto is reflected in the heart that symbolises ‘the people’s love’ and in the circle that symbolises ‘Denmark’s strength’. The scissor blades form the letter M – for Margrethe – and the circle represents people standing together. The reverse was designed by the graphic designer Jeanette Skov Jensen.

Technical specifications

500-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The commemorative coin features a portrait of the couple, with the Queen and the Prince in three-quarter profile, facing each other. Around the rim is a ring with the inscription: “H.M. Dronningen og H.K.H. Prinsen”. The titles are separated by a heart, the mark of the Royal Danish Mint. The reverse motif is the joint monogram of the Queen and the Prince. Above it, the date and the years of the wedding and anniversary are shown. Beneath the monogram is the Royal Mint’s mark, a heart, which also symbolises love. The medallist Henrik Wiberg did the portrait and reproduced the joint monogram.

Technical specifications

500-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse of the coin shows the Queen as a private individual without a tiara or jewellery. Consequently, Danmarks Nationalbank’s medallist Henrik Wiberg, who modelled the portrait, chose to show the Queen in a three-quarter profile. The motif on the reverse was inspired by the Queen’s artistic flair and based on the Queen’s motifs from the Danish countryside. As an extra layer, the Queen’s personal signature is shown. The reverse motif was designed by Jeanette Skov Jensen, senior graphic designer at Danmarks Nationalbank.

Technical specifications

500-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth


20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse of the coin shows a relief bust of the Queen in an official role as Sovereign of the two Royal Orders of Chivalry – the Order of the Elephant and the Order of Dannebrog. The relief bust was designed by the sculptor Karin Lorentzen. On the reverse, Ronny Andersen, Royal Herald Painter, has elaborated on a sketch by the Queen for a heraldic composition that includes elements from the royal coat of arms. The motif includes Denmark’s three lions and nine heraldic lily leaves (hearts), the Faroese ram and the Greenlandic polar bear, representing the three parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. The composition is surrounded by waves to symbolise the sea that links the various parts of the Kingdom.

Technical specifications

3000-krone gold coin
Alloy: 900‰ Au, 50‰ Ag, 50‰ Cu
Diameter: 22.0 mm
Weight: 8.65 g
Rim: Smooth

500-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse of the coin shows a right-side profile of the Queen. The portrait was created by the sculptor Lis Nogel. On the reverse, Ronny Andersen, Royal Herald Painter, has drawn the royal coat of arms set against a background of daisies.

Technical specifications

1000-krone gold coin
Alloy: 900‰ Au, 50‰ Ag, 50‰ Cu
Diameter: 22.0 mm
Weight: 8.65 g
Rim: Smooth

500-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse of the coin shows a right-side profile of the Queen. The reverse shows a twin right-side profile of Crown Prince Frederik and Miss Mary Donaldson. The twin profile is surrounded by a ring. The portraits were made by the sculptor Karin Lorentzen.

Technical specifications

200-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse of the coin shows a right-side profile of the Queen. Behind the Queen, a stylised daisy can be discerned.  The portrait is placed in a small hollow in the coin so the relief stands especially high. On the reverse are a crown and nine daisies, together with the coin denomination and the years 1940 and 2000. This version of the crown was used on the ½, 1 and 2-krone coins dating from the period 1924-1941. Both sides were designed by the sculptor Mogens Møller.

Technical specifications

200-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse side of the coin shows a full-figure portrait of the Queen. By tradition, Queen Margrethe’s portrait is depicted on Danish coins, but these commemorative coins show Queen Margrethe standing in a long robe and bearing the chain of the Order of the Elephant. The motif was inspired by coins issued by Christian IV, showing the King standing with his sceptre and crown.

The reverse of the coins depicts the national coat of arms. The 20-krone coin bears the small version of the national coat of arms – the state coat of arms. The state coat of arms is a shield with three crowned lions and nine hearts. The royal crown rests on the shield. The 200-krone coin bears the large version of the national coat of arms – the royal coat of arms. In the royal coat of arms the shield is divided into the four sections of the Cross of Dannebrog (the Danish flag). Two sections are identical, and, like the state coat of arms, depict three lions and nine hearts. One section shows the two lions of southern Jutland, and the last is divided into three smaller sections depicting the ram of the Faroe Islands, the polar bear of Greenland, and three crowns (a symbol of the Kalmar Union). At the centre is a section depicting the Oldenburg beams. The royal crown rests on the shield. Both the obverse and the reverse were designed by Jan Petersen, who was a medallist at the Royal Danish Mint at the time.

Technical specifications

200-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse of the coin shows a right-side profile of the Queen. The reverse shows a three-winged palace, inspired by Schackenborg, the couple’s residence. It is flanked by two trees. In the foreground are leaves and a fountain. On the 200-krone coin, the two noughts in the figure 200 are interwoven to form a Chinese symbol of happiness. Both the obverse and the reverse were designed by Jan Petersen, who was a medallist at the Royal Danish Mint at the time.

Technical specifications

200-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The coin differs from the other commemorative coins by not marking a special event in the Royal Family, but rather the minting of the first official Danish coin.

The obverse of the coin shows a left-side profile of the Queen. Along the left-hand rim stands “Dronning Margrethe II” (Queen Margrethe II), and on the right-hand side “Danmark” (Denmark). ​The reverse shows a medieval crown with a cross. This motif was common on Danish coins issued in the late Middle Ages, when coins were often decorated with the symbols of the Crown and the church. Both the obverse and the reverse were designed by Jan Petersen, who was a medallist at the Royal Danish Mint at the time.

Technical specifications

200-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Milled

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni 
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse of the coin shows a left-side profile of the Queen on the right-hand side. On the left-hand side of the coin is a right-side profile of the Prince.

The reverse shows a house with a festive arch and a crown on top of the roof. Above the door is a heart with the number 25. To the left of the roof is a sun and to the right a half-moon and two stars. The somewhat untraditional reverse of the coin was inspired by Danish allotments, where some of the little sheds have developed into miniature palaces. It was meant to convey associations of something typically Danish – and perhaps also a typically Danish silver wedding anniversary. Both the obverse and the reverse were designed by Jan Petersen, who was a medallist at the Royal Danish Mint at the time.

Technical specifications

200-krone silver coin
Alloy: 999‰ Ag
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

The obverse of the coin shows a right-side profile of the Queen. The reverse shows a daisy beneath a crown. Both the obverse and the reverse were designed by Jan Petersen, who was a medallist at the Royal Danish Mint at the time.

Technical specifications

200-krone silver coin
Alloy: 800‰ Ag, 200‰ Cu
Diameter: 38 mm
Weight: 31.1 g
Rim: Smooth

20-krone circulation coin
Alloy: 92Cu, 6Al, 2Ni
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.3 g
Rim: Interrupted milled

Thematic coins

Danmarks Nationalbank has issued coin series with common motifs since 2002.The themes of the 20-krone coins have been towers (2002-2007), ships (2007-2012) and scientific theories (2013), while those of the 10-krone coins have been Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales (2005-2007) and motifs from the Polar Years (2007-2009).  A portrait of the Queen is depicted on the obverse of all thematic coins.

As collector’s editions, the coins with scientific theories were also issued in silver, just as the fairy tale and Polar Year coins were issued as collector’s editions in silver and gold. The thematic coins are also issued as circulation coins in line with the regular 10 and 20-krone coins.

Tower coins

In December 2002, Danmarks Nationalbank issued the first of a total of ten coins in the tower coin series. Towers were chosen as a theme because they represent national and historical symbols. A portrait of the Queen by the sculptor Professor Mogens Møller can be seen on the obverse of all the coins in the series, and is also used on the ordinary 10 and 20-krone coins.

Fairy tale coins

To mark the bicentenary of Hans Christian Andersen, Danmarks Nationalbank started issuing a series of 10-krone coins in 2005 with motifs from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales. A total of five fairy tale coins were issued, of which the last was issued in 2007. In addition to the ordinary 10-krone coin in aluminium bronze, all the fairy tale coins were issued in a gold and a silver version. The obverse of all the fairy tale coins shows a profile of the Queen by the sculptor Professor Mogens Møller.

Polar coins

Danmarks Nationalbank issued three thematic coins with motifs from the polar regions to mark the International Polar Year 2007-2009 for scientific research in the Arctic and Antarctic.

All the thematic coins were issued in three different versions – an ordinary 10-krone coin, a 100-krone silver coin and a 1000-krone gold coin.

The gold coins are made of gold from the Nalunaq Gold Mine at Nanortalik in southern Greenland. This was the first time that a coin had been produced from Greenlandic gold. A small polar bear in the legend on the gold coin indicates that the coin consists of gold originating from Greenland. The obverse face of the polar coins shows a profile of the Queen by the sculptor Professor Mogens Møller, and is the same as that found on ordinary 10 and 20-krone coins.

Ship coins

The series of ship coins – 12 in all – depicts different types of ships which have been chosen to reflect as many aspects as possible of Danish maritime history. The ship coins represent Denmark as a maritime nation throughout the world. The first ship coin was issued in April 2007, and the last coin in the series was issued in December 2012.

Scientist coins

To mark the centenary of the publication of Niels Bohr’s atomic theory, Danmarks Nationalbank issued a new series of coins on 7 October 2013 bearing motifs of scientific theories developed by Danish scientists as their common theme. The four coins in the series were issued simultaneously and feature motifs of Niels Bohr’s atomic model, Hans Christian Ørsted’s experiment demonstrating electromagnetism, Ole Rømer’s diagram describing the speed of light and Tycho Brahe’s constellation Cassiopeia accentuating the star Stella Nova.

On the obverse of the coin is a portrait of the Queen designed by the sculptor Lis Nogel. The portrait was created for the coins to mark the Queen’s 70th birthday in 2010. The scientist coin series comprises four different 500-krone silver coins and four different 20-krone coins for circulation. Proof versions of the 20-krone coins were minted for collectors.