{"product_id":"iceland-km-35-scarce-50-krona-coin-1995-2011-unc","title":"Iceland KM#35 100 Kronur coin 1995-2011 XF—Guardians—Lumpfish","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 100 Krónur is the largest denomination in Iceland’s everyday circulation series — and it earns its place. Cast in warm nickel brass, with a distinctive alternating smooth-and-reeded edge that sets it apart from every other coin in the set, it carries all four \u003cem\u003eLandvættir\u003c\/em\u003e on the obverse and one of the most peculiar fish in the North Atlantic on the reverse: the \u003cstrong\u003eLumpfish\u003c\/strong\u003e. This is a coin for collectors who appreciate the unexpected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e warm golden-brass engraving; brass 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, the full coat of arms of Iceland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLettering: \u003cem\u003eEITT HUNDRÆÐ KRÓNUR \/ ÍSLAND\u003c\/em\u003e (year varies)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e warm golden-brass engraving; brass background\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFace value \"100\" below a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lumpfish\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLumpfish\u003c\/a\u003e (\u003cem\u003eCyclopterus lumpus\u003c\/em\u003e) — depicted in profile, its distinctive lumpy, scaleless body and prominent dorsal ridge visible; the suction disc on the underside, used to anchor itself to rocks in turbulent water, is characteristic of the species; rendered in crisp relief\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLettering: \u003cem\u003e100 KR\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eKM#35 — this coin\u003c\/strong\u003e (no magnetic variety)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e KM# 35; Schön# 34; SIEG# 80; Numista N#1547\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nickel brass (70% Copper, 24.5% Zinc, 5.5% Nickel)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8.50 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiameter:\u003c\/strong\u003e 25.50 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThickness:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.25 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 Smooth and reeded alternately\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 1995–2011\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\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\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 100 Krónur shares its obverse with the 5, 10, and 50 Krónur — all four \u003cem\u003eLandvættir\u003c\/em\u003e assembled together, the complete mythological coat of arms of Iceland. \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, \u003cstrong\u003eGriðungur\u003c\/strong\u003e the bull of the west. According to the \u003cem\u003eHeimskringla\u003c\/em\u003e, these four spirits turned back a Danish sorcerer sent to scout Iceland for invasion, each appearing in its region and driving him into the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat distinguishes the 100 Krónur from its siblings is its edge: \u003cstrong\u003ealternating smooth and reeded sections\u003c\/strong\u003e, a security feature that makes it immediately identifiable by touch alone — useful in a country where coins of similar size circulate together. It is a small design detail that speaks to serious intent. \u003cstrong\u003eThe highest denomination gets the most distinctive edge.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Lumpfish: Iceland’s Most Unlikely Icon\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eLumpfish\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eCyclopterus lumpus\u003c\/em\u003e) is not built for speed or elegance. It is a round, lumpy, scaleless fish with a body covered in tubercles — bony bumps arranged in rows — and a modified pelvic fin fused into a powerful suction disc that it uses to anchor itself to rocks in the surge and swell of the North Atlantic. It looks, frankly, like something designed by committee. And Iceland put it on its highest everyday coin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe choice is not as eccentric as it seems. Lumpfish roe — harvested from females during the spring spawning season — is a significant Icelandic export, sold as an affordable caviar substitute worldwide. The males, meanwhile, are remarkable fathers: they guard the egg mass alone for up to seven weeks after the female departs, fanning the eggs with their fins and chasing off predators. On this coin the lumpfish is rendered in profile, its lumpy silhouette unmistakable, its suction disc implied in the curve of the belly. \u003cstrong\u003eOwn this coin and you hold the full Icelandic marine world\u003c\/strong\u003e — from the mythological guardians above to the most tenacious fish in the cold Atlantic below.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unbranded","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52110294155575,"sku":"ISKM35U","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/KM35r.jpg?v=1778333752","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/iceland-km-35-scarce-50-krona-coin-1995-2011-unc","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}