Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Faroe Islands (Denmark) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1940 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 500 DANMARK 500 FEM HUNDREDE KRONER VEXLES PAA ANFORDRING MED GULDMØNT Overprint: Kun gyldig paa Færøerne Færø Amt, Juni 1940. Hilbert (Translation: Nationalbankens Notes can be exchanged with Gold according to recent law Only valid on Faroe Islands Faroe county, June 1940) |
| Reverse description | The Royal Danish coat of arms occupies the central field, comprising a shield charged with three crowned blue lions passant and nine red hearts on a gold ground, enclosed within a wreath of elaborate foliate and floral scrollwork rendered in gold and green tones. A royal crown surmounts the shield, and the denomination numerals '500' appear at lower left and lower right flanking the composition. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
When Germany occupied Denmark in April 1940, the British moved quickly to occupy the Faroe Islands, cutting them off from Copenhagen and the normal channels of currency supply. The Danish National Bank's 500-kroner notes — already in circulation — were overprinted locally to distinguish Faroese issues from those circulating on the occupied mainland, a precaution against currency manipulation or flight across the North Sea.
Two overprint variants exist, designated Type I and Type II, differing in the precise placement and execution of the stamp. The distinction matters to specialists; both are genuinely scarce given the small population the islands were serving and the limited number of high-denomination notes that would have been needed at all.