50 øre NORWAY (1996-2011)

in the coin centre the royal crown

left from the centre a motif from an ornament decorating stave church in Urnes; along the right edge: 50 ØRE • NOREG • (face value and Norway in Nynorsk - New Norwegian language) and year of issue

plain

16 IX 1996

1 V 2012

Grazyna Jolanta Lindau (monogram GJL in the centre of the reverse)

Den Kongelige Mynt (The Royal Mint), Kongsberg - name till 2004,

Det Norske Myntverket (The Norwegian Mint), Kongsberg - name from 2004 (mint mark under the crown on the obverse, on its right initials of the mint's chief Jan Erik Johansen JJE in years 1996-2001, or initials JJE* in 2001, or initials of Magne Flagans MF in years 2002-2006; after 2006 no initials were placed on Norwegian coins)

1996	81 976 200	JJE
1997	24 014 873	JJE	+ 75 000 in annual sets
1998	30 843 000	JJE	+ 70 000 in annual sets
1999	25 264 273	JJE	+ 50 000 in annual sets
2000	18 934 552	JJE	+ 45 000 in annual sets
2001	16 793 250	JJE	+ 55 000 in annual sets
2001	13 291 750	JJE*
2002	23 903 000	MF	+ 55 000 in annual sets
2003	4 265 000	MF	+ 55 000 in annual sets
2004	14 752 000	MF	+ 55 000 in annual sets
2005	4 908 000	MF	+ 55 000 in annual sets
2006	30 177 000	MF	+ 50 000 in annual sets
2007	20 087 000		+ 30 000 in annual sets
2008	19 364 000		+ 27 000 in annual sets
2009	9 876 000		+ 27 000 in annual sets
2010	14 968 000		+ 25 000 in annual sets
2011	9 945 000		+ 25 000 in annual sets

2001 - coins with initials of the mint chief Jan Erik Johansen JJE or with initials JJE* from the period after Johansen resigned from August 23 to December 31, 2001;

2011 - digits 1 in the year of issue normal (1.7 mil pieces were struck) or by accident flipped horizontally (8.3 mil pieces were struck)

Until 2006 on Norwegian coinage apart from crossed sledge hammer and chisel - the mint mark of the Norwegian mint, also initials of mint's directors were placed. Let's meet the people standing behind these initials:

B, AB	1961 - 30 VI 1980	Arne Bakken
AB*	1 VII - 31 XII 1980	Ole-Robert Kolberg
K	1981 - 1993	Ole-Robert Kolberg
K*	1994	Jan Erik Johansen
J, JJE	1994 - 2001	Jan Erik Johansen
JJE*	23 VIII - 31 XII 2001	Magne Flagans
MF	2002 - 2006	Magne Flagans

A piece of ornament on northern portal of stave church in Urnes (Urnes Stavkirke) - year ca. AD 1130.


photo: Sean Hayford O'Leary; licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0