5 kroner NORWAY (1997) 350 Years of The Norwegian Post

in the coin centre lion holding an axe from Norwegian Coat of Arms divides on the bottom face value: 5 / KR (KRONER); on the left vertically upwards: NORGE (Norway)

in the coin centre a figurine of postilion on a horse riding leftwards; along the top edge: POSTEN SKAL FRAM (mail will be delivered); along the bottom edge dates: 1647-1997

plain

16 IV 1997

9 VII 1999

Ingrid Austlid Rise (initials IAR under the horse on the reverse)

Den Kongelige Mynt (The Royal Mint), Kongsberg (mint mark right from the Coat of Arms on the obverse; below it initials JJE of mint's director Jan Erik Johansen)

1997	1 667 073	JJE	+ 75 000 in annual sets

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

This Norwegian coin of 5 kroner from 1997 commemorates 350th anniversary of founding the Norwegian Post. On January 17, 1647 the Danish governor of Norway Hannibal Sehested assigned a Dutch Henrik Morian to create postal services and granted him with the exclusive right to profit from this activity.

The postilion figurine carved from ivory by Jørgen Christensen Garnås in ca. 1750. It can be viewed at Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark.