Norway 1814 - 1874

Norwegian skilling and speciedaler, 1814–1874

This category holds the coins of the union with Sweden before the krone: the Norwegian skilling in many denominations and the large silver speciedaler. After 1814 Norway kept its own monetary system, and the acts establishing Norges Bank were sanctioned in 1816. The new unit was the speciedaler, divided into 5 ort or 120 skilling. The bank’s silver fund could not be raised by voluntary subscription, so it was collected through a compulsory levy, remembered as the silver tax.

All the coins were struck at the Royal Mint at Kongsberg. They carry the names or portraits of the union kings, and you can browse them king by king: Carl XIII (1814–1818), Carl XIV Johan (1818–1844), Oscar I (1844–1859) and Carl XV (1859–1872).

Which denominations were struck?

• Speciedaler and 1/2 speciedaler: the large silver coins, with about 25 grams of fine silver in the full daler. A speciedaler of 1835 is one of the highlights of the period.
• 24 skilling: one fifth of a speciedaler, the same as the old ort. The 24 skilling of 1819 belongs to the first full series from Kongsberg.
• 12 skilling: one tenth of a speciedaler, struck in many years under Oscar I and popular for date runs.
• 1/2 to 4 skilling: the small change of everyday life. In 1816 only the 1 skilling was minted; the wider range of values followed from 1819.

From skilling to krone

The skilling system ended in steps. In 1873 Norway decided to adopt the krone. From 1 January 1874 one speciedaler was reckoned as 4 kroner, and the coinage act of 17 April 1875 made the krone of 100 øre the basis of the currency. Norway joined the Scandinavian Monetary Union only in October 1875.

One krone equalled 30 skilling, so 3 skilling became 10 øre. To ease the change, the first coins of Oscar II carried both values, such as 10 øre/3 skilling and 50 øre/15 skilling. The krone coins that followed are in Norway after 1874.

What affects the value of a Norwegian skilling coin?

Year, variety and condition decide most of the price. Some years are far scarcer than others, and well-preserved examples are much harder to find than worn ones, because small coins were used hard.

• Wear: look at the details of the portrait, the lion and the crown, and at the sharpness of the legend.
• Surface: copper coins are judged on colour as well as wear. An even brown surface without corrosion is preferred, and cleaned coins lose much of their appeal.
• Overdates: on a reused die a new digit was sometimes struck over an old one, as on the 1/2 skilling 1841/0 or the 12 skilling 1853/2. Overdates are popular varieties.
• References: each coin is identified with catalogue numbers, so you can compare types, years and varieties.

For background, read skilling and speciedaler explained, our collector’s guide to Norwegian coins and what old Norwegian coins are worth. Older coins are under Norway before 1814.