Iceland is a country that should not work. It sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, volcanically restless, geothermally alive, battered by North Atlantic storms, with a population smaller than most mid-sized American cities. And yet it has produced one of the most stable, prosperous, and culturally rich societies on earth — a nation that has been running a parliament since 930 AD, writes more books per capita than anywhere else in the world, and once won a naval standoff with the United Kingdom using a fleet of fishing vessels. Iceland does not do things the expected way. Its coins don’t either.

A Giant, a Dragon, an Eagle, and a Bull Walk Onto a Coin…

Most countries put monarchs on their coins. Founding fathers. Allegorical figures of liberty or justice. Iceland put mythological monsters. The four Landvættir — the ancient guardian spirits of the island — appear on the obverse of every denomination from 5 Krónur upward, and one of them, Bergrisi the Mountain Giant, stands alone on the 1 Króna, the smallest coin in the series.

The story behind them comes from the Heimskringla, the 13th-century Norse chronicle: a Danish king sent a sorcerer, disguised as a whale, to scout Iceland for invasion. He swam around the island and was met, at each shore, by one of the four spirits. In the north, Bergrisi — enormous, club in hand, flanked by a host of giants — drove him back. In the east, Gammur the eagle spread wings so vast they touched the mountains on either side. In the west, Griðungur the bull waded into the sea and bellowed with such force the sorcerer turned tail. In the south, Dreki the dragon flew overhead breathing fire, trailed by a swarm of serpents. The invasion never happened. Iceland was never conquered — it was simply too well guarded.

These four spirits now appear on the coat of arms of Iceland, and on these coins. A giant. A dragon. An eagle. A bull. On money that people used to buy groceries. That is genuinely, objectively cool.

The Dolphins Are Also Extremely Cool

The 5 Krónur gets a pair of Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) leaping in tandem on the reverse — bodies arched, flukes trailing, the whole composition radiating speed and intelligence. Dolphins are a genuine presence in Icelandic waters, part of the rich marine ecosystem of the North Atlantic, and whoever designed this coin clearly understood that two dolphins mid-leap is simply a better image than most things you could put on a coin. No notes.

The Fish Are… Fine. Iceland Is a Fishing Country.

Look, not every reverse can be a dragon. The 1 Króna has an Atlantic Cod. The 10 Krónur has four Capelin. The 50 Krónur has a Shore Crab. The 100 Krónur has a Lumpfish — which is, to be fair, one of the stranger-looking fish in the North Atlantic, with a lumpy scaleless body and a suction disc for a belly. In fairness to Iceland: the cod literally won them a war with the United Kingdom. The capelin is the keystone species that keeps the entire North Atlantic food web from collapsing. The lumpfish roe is exported worldwide as a caviar substitute. These are not random fish. They are the fish that built a country. They just look like fish.

The Coins

This collection includes Iceland’s complete modern circulation series — individual coins and sets — spanning the 1 Króna through 100 Krónur denominations, all in the magnetic nickel plated steel and nickel brass compositions minted at the Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom. All coins are Uncirculated (UNC) unless otherwise noted. Whether you want the giant, the dragon, the dolphins, or the full set — it’s all here.