Iceland KM#35 100 Kronur coin 1995-2011 XF—Guardians—Lumpfish

The 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 Landvættir on the obverse and one of the most peculiar fish in the North Atlantic on the reverse: the Lumpfish. This is a coin for collectors who appreciate the unexpected.

Front

• Colors: warm golden-brass engraving; brass background
• All four traditional protector spirits (Landvættir) of Iceland: Bergrisi the giant, Dreki the dragon, Gammur the eagle, and Griðungur the bull — depicted together in a single composition, the full coat of arms of Iceland
• Lettering: EITT HUNDRÆÐ KRÓNUR / ÍSLAND (year varies)

Back

• Colors: warm golden-brass engraving; brass background
• Face value "100" below a Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) — 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
• Lettering: 100 KR

Other Characteristics

• Varieties: KM#35 — this coin (no magnetic variety)
• Catalog numbers: KM# 35; Schön# 34; SIEG# 80; Numista N#1547
• Composition: Nickel brass (70% Copper, 24.5% Zinc, 5.5% Nickel)
• Weight: 8.50 g
• Diameter: 25.50 mm
• Thickness: 2.25 mm
• Shape: Round
• Edge: Smooth and reeded alternately
• Technique: Milled
• Orientation: Medal alignment ↑↑
• Issuing entity: Central Bank of Iceland
• Mint: Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom (1968–date)
• Years issued: 1995–2011
• Currency: New króna (1980–date)
• Official language: Icelandic

About Iceland

• Origin of name: From Old Norse Ísland — "Ice Land," named by Norse settler Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson in the 9th century after seeing ice-filled fjords in the north
• Capital: Reykjavík (city pop. ~140,000; metro ~230,000)
  • Origin of name: Old Norse Reykjavík — "Smoky Bay," named for the steam rising from geothermal hot springs seen by first settler Ingólfr Arnarson
• Population: ~380,000 (UN 2024) — comparable to New Orleans, LA
• Area: 103,000 km² (39,769 mi²) — comparable to Kentucky or Portugal
• GDP per capita (PPP): ~$75,000 (one of the highest in the world)
• Main exports: Fish and fish products, aluminum, ferrosilicon, diatomite, tourism
• Borders: Island nation — no land borders; surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean
• Official/spoken language: Icelandic
• Ethnicities: Icelanders (~93%), other European and Asian minorities
• Memberships: United Nations (1945); NATO (founding member, 1949); Council of Europe (1949); EEA (1994); Schengen Area (2001)
• Sovereignty: 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

Iceland Unfiltered

• Iceland has no standing army — it is one of only a handful of sovereign nations with no military forces
• Despite its name, Iceland is remarkably green, while Greenland is largely covered in ice — a deliberate Viking misdirection, some historians argue
• Iceland runs almost entirely on renewable energy: ~100% of electricity from geothermal and hydropower
• The Icelandic phone book is sorted by first name, not last — because Icelanders use a patronymic system, not hereditary surnames
• Iceland has no mosquitoes — the climate and geology make it inhospitable to them
• The 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

Four Guardians, One Coin

The 100 Krónur shares its obverse with the 5, 10, and 50 Krónur — all four Landvættir assembled together, the complete mythological coat of arms of Iceland. Bergrisi the mountain giant of the north, Dreki the dragon of the south, Gammur the great eagle of the east, Griðungur the bull of the west. According to the Heimskringla, 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.

What distinguishes the 100 Krónur from its siblings is its edge: alternating smooth and reeded sections, 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. The highest denomination gets the most distinctive edge.

The Lumpfish: Iceland’s Most Unlikely Icon

The Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) 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.

The 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. Own this coin and you hold the full Icelandic marine world — from the mythological guardians above to the most tenacious fish in the cold Atlantic below.