Frederik helps mark International Polar Year

© Steen Brogaard. Crown Prince Frederik with director of the National Bank, Torben Nielsen, and director of The Royal Mint, Hans Denkov. Here the Crown Prince is shown the original sculptures from which the new coins are cast.

On Tuesday, 20 March, Crown Prince Frederik received a gold coin from Danmarks National Bank at The Chancellery House. The coin is the first being released to mark International Polar Year. The final one will be released in 2009. Frederik is the Danish patron of International Polar Year which he helped launch in Copenhagen on March 1 (here).

For more photos, visit Steen Brogaard's site

International Polar Year 2007-2008

Danmarks Nationalbanken:

Polar coins: New coin series with Polar theme

The first polar coin in a new series with the Polar regions as common theme will be issued on 26 March 2007. The series will comprise three coins and is launched to mark the International Polar Year 2007-2009. All polar coins will have motifs inspired by the Polar areas of Greenland. The final coin will be issued in 2009.

To mark the International Polar Year, Danmarks Nationalbank launches the first coin in a new series of polar coins on 26 March 2007.
The new Polar series will comprise three coins, which will be issued in the period 2007 to 2009.

The motif of the first coin is a polar bear. The polar bear is chosen because of its great importance to the Greenland culture. On the coin you will see the polar bear standing on a split ice floe. The motif is designed by the Greenland artist Niels Motzfeldt, who also designed the motif on the tower coin "Three Brothers". The obverse of the coin carries a portrait of the Queen in profile...

The gold coins are minted in gold originating from Greenland. Danmarks Nationalbank has acquired the gold from the Nalunaq Gold Mine by Nanortalik in the South of Greenland. This goldmine also delivered the gold to the wedding rings of the Danish Crown Prince and Crown Princess. It is the first time that a coin is minted in gold originating from Greenland. The legend on the gold coin also shows a small polar bear, which is used as a symbol for gold originating from Greenland...