Facts about the new banknotes |  |
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Legal tender
The Danmarks Nationalbank Act gives Danmarks Nationalbank the exclusive right to issue banknotes valid as legal tender.
Banknote validity
All Danish banknotes issued after 1945 are still valid and will be exchanged at face value by Danmarks Nationalbank.
Banknote circulation and counterfeiting
The most recent figures for the number of genuine and counterfeit banknotes in circulation were published in Danmarks Nationalbank's Report and Accounts.
The paper
The banknotes are printed on dirt-resistant cotton paper that is much stronger than normal writing paper. The paper is incorporated into the surface called Anti Soil Treatment. The paper is delivered to Danmarks Nationalbank's Banknote Printing Works complete with watermark and hidden security thread.
Format
The new banknotes are of the same size as the present banknotes. All the banknotes are of the same height, but with each increase in denomination, the banknotes gain 10 mm in length. The 50-krone banknote therefore measures 125 mm x 72 mm, whereas the 1,000-krone banknote measures 165 mm x 72 mm.
Colours
The new banknotes have the same signature colours as the current series from 1997. i.e.
- 50 kroner – violet
- 100 kroner – orangey-yellow
- 200 kroner – green
- 500 kroner – blue
- 1,000 kroner – red
Help for the visually impaired
In the interests of the blind and partially sighted, the 100- and 200-krone banknotes will have embossed print to make it easier to distinguish them from each other. Like the current series, the banknotes will differ in size, which is also helpful to the blind and partially sighted. The strong differences in the colours used for the various denominations will also help those with visual impairments.
Signatures on the banknotes
Ever since banknotes became legal tender in Denmark in 1713, they have featured signatures testifying to their authenticity. Only signed banknotes are considered legal tender. For many years, they were signed by hand by selected employees at Danmarks Nationalbank, but from 1910, the signatures were printed on the banknotes.
Before 1952, the 12 most senior officials at Danmarks Nationalbank signed the right-hand side of the banknotes and the General Manager of the Banknote Printing Works signed the left-hand side. This scheme was dropped in 1952, and now the governors of Danmarks Nationalbank and Chief Cashier sign the banknotes.
Halvtreds or femti
The new 50-krone banknote bears the everyday Danish word "halvtreds" instead of the Scandinavian "femti". The number "femti", traditionally used on cheques, has been printed on Danish 50-krone banknotes since 1952, but has been replaced, as "femti" is not generally used by the population – partly because fewer cheques are now written.
The other values on the new banknotes will appear as: "et hundrede", "to hundrede", "fem hundrede" and "et tusinde" kroner. |
