{"product_id":"iceland-p-59-1000-kronur-2001-2009-unc-sig-mg-gudmundsson-sveinsson-cathedral","title":"Iceland P-59(6) 1000 Kronur 2001 (2009) UNC sig. MG—Cathedral","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the most historically resonant notes in Iceland’s modern series — the 1000 Krónur pairs the towering figure of \u003cstrong\u003eBishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson\u003c\/strong\u003e, the man who saved Iceland’s medieval literary heritage, with the cathedral he presided over at \u003cstrong\u003eSkálholt\u003c\/strong\u003e, for centuries the spiritual and intellectual capital of Iceland. The “no border” variety of this note also introduced a suite of advanced security features that set it apart from its predecessor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e yellow-gold background; brown engraving dominant; purple accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHalf-figure portrait of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brynj%C3%B3lfur_Sveinsson\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrynjólfur Sveinsson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (1605–1675), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bishop_of_Sk%C3%A1lholt\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLutheran Bishop of Skálholt\u003c\/a\u003e, to the right; value to the left and top left\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBottom left: law of issue, signatures, and bank name\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLettering: \u003cem\u003eSAMKVÆT LÖGUM NR.36 \/ 22. MAI 2001 \/ SEÐLABANKI ÍSLANDS \/ EITT ÞÚSUND KRÓNUR\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e See varieties below — multiple signature combinations issued 2004–2009\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigners:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kristín Þorkelsdóttir; Stephen Alan Fairbairn\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 yellow-gold background; brown engraving dominant; purple accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sk%C3%A1lholt\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSkálholt Cathedral\u003c\/a\u003e as it appeared in the 17th century — depicted from the side with church decorative elements behind; the cathedral was the seat of the Bishop of Skálholt and the most important ecclesiastical site in Iceland for over 700 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLettering: \u003cem\u003e1000\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigners:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kristín Þorkelsdóttir; Stephen Alan Fairbairn\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\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003e2001-May-22 (2004) BÍG, EG\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003e2001-May-22 (2004–2006) BÍG, JS\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003e2001-May-22 (2005–2006) DO, JS\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003e2001-May-22 (2005–2009) DO, EG\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003e2001-May-22 (2009) MG \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026lt;-- this note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003e2001-May-22 (2009) SHØ\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-59; SIEG SD# 69; Numista N#203072\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Portrait of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/J%C3%B3n_Sigur%C3%B0sson\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJón Sigurðsson\u003c\/a\u003e, leader of the 19th-century Icelandic independence movement, at left (viewed from obverse); cornerstone watermarks on all four corners\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 150.5 × 70 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_Bank_of_Iceland\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCentral Bank of Iceland\u003c\/a\u003e (Seðlabanki Íslands)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/De_La_Rue\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDe La Rue\u003c\/a\u003e, London, United Kingdom (1821–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYes\u003c\/a\u003e — superseded by subsequent series\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dav%C3%AD%C3%B0_Oddsson\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDavíð Oddsson\u003c\/a\u003e (DO) — Gov.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eir%C3%ADkur_Gu%C3%B0nason\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEiríkur Guðnason\u003c\/a\u003e (EG) — Gov.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJón Sigurðsson (JS) — Bank manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBirgir Ísleifur Gunnarsson (BÍG) — Gov.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/M%C3%A1r_Gu%C3%B0mundsson\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMár Guðmundsson\u003c\/a\u003e (MG) — Governor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSvein Harald Øygard (SHØ) — Interim Governor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\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 established 930 AD — one of the world’s oldest parliaments; 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 — 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 note was in circulation through that chaos\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Man Who Saved the Sagas\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrynjólfur Sveinsson\u003c\/strong\u003e (1605–1675) was the Bishop of Skálholt from 1639 to 1674 — and one of the most consequential figures in Icelandic cultural history. At a time when Iceland’s medieval manuscripts were scattered, deteriorating, and at risk of being lost forever, Brynjólfur systematically collected and preserved them. Most famously, he acquired the \u003cstrong\u003eCodex Regius\u003c\/strong\u003e — the primary manuscript of the \u003cem\u003ePoetic Edda\u003c\/em\u003e, the foundational text of Norse mythology — and sent it as a gift to the Danish king in 1662, where it was preserved in the Royal Library in Copenhagen. Without Brynjólfur, much of what the world knows about Norse gods, heroes, and cosmology might not have survived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe appears on this note in half-figure, composed and authoritative, the weight of his office and his legacy visible in the engraving. \u003cstrong\u003eA bishop who saved a mythology.\u003c\/strong\u003e That is who Iceland chose to put on its highest everyday denomination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSkálholt: The Heart of Iceland for 700 Years\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSkálholt\u003c\/strong\u003e was the ecclesiastical capital of Iceland from 1056 to 1785 — longer than the United States has existed. It was the seat of the Bishop of Skálholt, the site of Iceland’s first school (founded in the 11th century), and the center of religious, legal, and intellectual life on the island for the entire medieval period. The cathedral depicted on the reverse is the 17th-century structure that stood during Brynjólfur’s tenure — a building that represented the full weight of Icelandic civilization at its most concentrated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday Skálholt is a small village. The modern cathedral, rebuilt in 1963, draws pilgrims and tourists. But on this banknote, it is restored to its historical grandeur — rendered in brown and gold, seen from the side, with decorative elements framing it like an illuminated manuscript. \u003cstrong\u003eOwn this note and you hold a piece of Iceland’s spiritual and literary memory.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSecurity Features: The “No Border” Series\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis variety — distinguished by the \u003cstrong\u003eabsence of a white top and bottom border\u003c\/strong\u003e that appeared on the earlier 1000 Krónur series — also introduced a significant upgrade in security technology. The note features a \u003cstrong\u003esegmented security thread\u003c\/strong\u003e with six visible foil segments on the obverse, containing the inscription “1000KR” continuously repeated when held to backlight. \u003cstrong\u003eUV-reactive ink\u003c\/strong\u003e is present on the obverse. A \u003cstrong\u003ehidden latent image\u003c\/strong\u003e — the abbreviation “SÍ” for Seðlabanki Íslands — appears in the black space to the right of the cathedral door on the reverse when the note is tilted or examined closely. Additional machine-readable features are embedded throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are not merely anti-counterfeiting measures — they are a record of where banknote technology stood in the early 2000s, and a reminder that even a small island nation invests seriously in the integrity of its currency.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unbranded","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52109957398839,"sku":"IS59(6)U","price":17.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/59or.jpg?v=1778330701","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/iceland-p-59-1000-kronur-2001-2009-unc-sig-mg-gudmundsson-sveinsson-cathedral","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}