Denmark 10 kroner 1972 - Death of Frederik IX and accession of Margrethe II

The coin's story

This silver 10 kroner coin marks both the death of King Frederik IX and the accession of his daughter Margrethe II. The King died on 14 January 1972, shortly after his New Year speech, the next day, Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag proclaimed the new Queen from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace, in a short ceremony without a coronation. Margrethe II was the first woman to ascend the Danish throne under the new law of succession. In her first speech she announced her motto, “Guds hjælp, folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke” (God's help, the love of the people, the strength of Denmark), inscribed around her portrait. The reverse recalls the reign of Frederik IX, from 20 April 1947 to 14 January 1972. Both sides are the work of Frode Bahnsen, chief medallist of the Royal Mint in Copenhagen since 1968, who also designed the Queen's first circulating coins, the initial S is that of the mintmaster Vagn Sørensen. Issued by the National Bank of Denmark, the coin was not intended for circulation.