20 kroner DENMARK (2005) Towers - Church in Landet

in the coin centre inside a ring head of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark facing right; along the bottom edge year of issue: 2005; along the top edge: MARGRETHE II DANMARKS DRONNING (Margrethe II Queen of Denmark)

in the centre inside a disk the tower of the Landet Church as seen by a lying man; leaves of chestnut around the tower; along the top edge: LANDET KIRKE, along the bottom edge face value: 20 KRONER

seven plain and seven reeded sections

28 I 2005

still circulating

Mogens Møller, Øivind Nygård

Den Kongelige Mønt (The Royal Mint), Copenhagen (mint mark before DANMARKS on the obverse)

2005

1 200 000

+ 8 600 in sets "Towers"

Church in Landet on the Tåsinge island was built in the Romanesque style in the late 11^th and early 12^th centuries. In 1889, it was a silent witness to a love tragedy that has later inspired many musicians and screenwriters. The forbidden love (expressed by two convex hearts below letter L in LANDET on the coin reverse) of Danish circus artist Elvira Madigan and Swedish officer Sixten Sparre finished by a double suicide using a revolver (the concave shape can be found among the leaves at the right edge of the reverse). Lovers were burried in the neighboring graves under the chestnut tree in the cemetery of the Landet church) (hence the chestnut leaves and the specific perspective of the tower on the reverse).


photo: Bentler; licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0

The coin series "Towers" (Tårnmønter) are dedicated to one of the most famous Danish architects Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971). To commemorate the 100^th anniversary of his birth a coin was struck with his most famous design - the tower of Aarhus city hall. The series continued until 2007 and it contains ten coins:

	20 kroner - City Hall in Aarhus (Århus Rådhus) (2002)
	20 kroner - Old Stock Exchange in Copenhagen (Børsen) (2003)
	20 kroner - Christiansborg Palace (2003)
	20 kroner - Goose Tower (Gåsetårnet) (2004)
	20 kroner - Water Tower in Svaneke (Svaneke Vandtårn) (2004)
	20 kroner - Church in Landet (Landet Kirke) (2005)
	20 kroner - Lighthouse on Nólsoy (Nólsoy Fyr) (2005)
	20 kroner - Gråsten Palace (Gråsten Slot) (2006)
	20 kroner - Three Brothers (Tre Brødre) (2006)
	20 kroner - City Hall in Copenhagen (Københavns Rådhus) (2007)