{"product_id":"iceland-km-29-1a-10-kronur-coin-1996-2008-unc","title":"Iceland KM#29.1a 10 Kronur coin 1996-2008 UNC—Giant, Dragon, Eagle, Bull, Fish","description":"\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e silver-gray nickel engraving; plain steel background\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll four traditional protector spirits (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Landv%C3%A6ttir\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLandvættir\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e) of Iceland: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bergrisi\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBergrisi\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e the giant, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Icelandic_wyvern\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDreki\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e the dragon, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gammur\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGammur\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e the eagle, and \u003cstrong\u003eGriðungur\u003c\/strong\u003e the bull — depicted together in a single composition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLettering: \u003cem\u003eTÍU KRÓNUR \/ ÍSLAND\u003c\/em\u003e (year varies)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e silver-gray nickel engraving; plain steel background\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFace value \"10\" above four \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Capelin\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCapelin\u003c\/a\u003e fish (\u003cem\u003eMallotus villosus\u003c\/em\u003e) — depicted in a radial arrangement, bodies curved and overlapping, fins detailed; the quartet conveys the dense schooling behavior of this small but economically vital species, rendered in crisp relief against the plain field\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLettering: \u003cem\u003e10 KR\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eKM#29.1 (non-magnetic)\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cstrong\u003eKM#29.1a (magnetic) — this coin\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e KM# 29.1a; Schön# 32a; SIEG# 56.2; Numista N#7912\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nickel plated steel (magnetic)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 6.90 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiameter:\u003c\/strong\u003e 27.50 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThickness:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.78 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Round\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdge:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reeded\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Milled\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrientation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medal alignment ↑↑\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Central Bank of Iceland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMint:\u003c\/strong\u003e Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom (1968–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYears issued:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1996–2008\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e New króna (1980–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial language:\u003c\/strong\u003e Icelandic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Iceland\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e From Old Norse \u003cem\u003eÍsland\u003c\/em\u003e — \"Ice Land,\" named by Norse settler Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson in the 9th century after seeing ice-filled fjords in the north\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reykjavík (city pop. ~140,000; metro ~230,000)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Old Norse \u003cem\u003eReykjavík\u003c\/em\u003e — \"Smoky Bay,\" named for the steam rising from geothermal hot springs seen by first settler Ingólfr Arnarson\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~380,000 (UN 2024) — comparable to New Orleans, LA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 103,000 km² (39,769 mi²) — comparable to Kentucky or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$75,000 (one of the highest in the world)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fish and fish products, aluminum, ferrosilicon, diatomite, tourism\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Island nation — no land borders; surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e Icelandic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Icelanders\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIcelanders\u003c\/a\u003e (~93%), other European and Asian minorities\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1949); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Council_of_Europe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCouncil of Europe\u003c\/a\u003e (1949); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Economic_Area\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEEA\u003c\/a\u003e (1994); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Schengen_Area\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSchengen Area\u003c\/a\u003e (2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Settlement by Norse Vikings (874 AD); Althing (parliament) established 930 AD — one of the world's oldest; Norwegian rule (1262–1397); Danish rule (1397–1944); Republic of Iceland declared June 17, 1944\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIceland Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIceland has no standing army — it is one of only a handful of sovereign nations with no military forces\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDespite its name, Iceland is remarkably green, while Greenland is largely covered in ice — a deliberate Viking misdirection, some historians argue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIceland runs almost entirely on renewable energy: ~100% of electricity from geothermal and hydropower\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Icelandic phone book is sorted by first name, not last — because Icelanders use a patronymic system, not hereditary surnames\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIceland has no mosquitoes — the climate and geology make it inhospitable to them\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 2008 financial crisis hit Iceland harder per capita than almost any other country; three major banks collapsed, and the króna lost half its value — this very coin was circulating through that chaos\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFour Guardians, One Coin\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1 króna coin chose one guardian. The 10 krónur chose all four. On the obverse of this coin, the complete assembly of Iceland’s \u003cem\u003eLandvættir\u003c\/em\u003e stands together: \u003cstrong\u003eBergrisi\u003c\/strong\u003e the mountain giant of the north, \u003cstrong\u003eDreki\u003c\/strong\u003e the dragon of the south, \u003cstrong\u003eGammur\u003c\/strong\u003e the great eagle of the east, and \u003cstrong\u003eGriðungur\u003c\/strong\u003e the bull of the west. Together they form the \u003cstrong\u003ecoat of arms of Iceland\u003c\/strong\u003e — four supernatural sentinels who, according to the \u003cem\u003eHeimskringla\u003c\/em\u003e, turned back a Danish sorcerer sent to scout the island for invasion. Each spirit appeared in its region and drove him into the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat this full pantheon appears on the 10 krónur — a coin that passed through millions of Icelandic hands from 1996 to 2008 — is a quiet act of national pride. Iceland is a small country that has never forgotten its mythology. \u003cstrong\u003eEvery transaction was a reminder of who was watching.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Capelin: Iceland’s Unsung Engine\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eCapelin\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eMallotus villosus\u003c\/em\u003e) is not a glamorous fish. It is small — rarely more than 20 cm — and it travels in schools so vast they can be detected by sonar from miles away. But in the ecology of the North Atlantic, and in the economy of Iceland, it is indispensable. Capelin is a critical forage fish: it feeds cod, haddock, seabirds, and whales, forming a linchpin of the entire marine food web. It is also harvested directly — for fishmeal, fish oil, and roe — and has been one of Iceland’s significant export species for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour capelin circle the reverse of this coin in a tight, schooling arrangement — a design choice that is almost ecological in its accuracy. These fish do not swim alone. They move in masses, in currents, in the cold dark water beneath the same skies that the \u003cem\u003eLandvættir\u003c\/em\u003e watch over above. \u003cstrong\u003eOwn this coin and you hold both worlds\u003c\/strong\u003e — the mythological and the biological, the guardian and the fish that keeps the ocean alive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unbranded","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52109929742647,"sku":"ISKM29.1aU","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/KM29.1ao.jpg?v=1778328387","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/iceland-km-29-1a-10-kronur-coin-1996-2008-unc","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}