50 Kronur 1948, Iceland
| in Krause book | Number: 34 |
| Years of issue: | 1948 - 1956 |
| Edition: | -- |
| Signatures: | Magnus Jonsson, Gunnar Vildar 1948 - 1955 |
| Serie: | 15.04.1928 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 15.04.1928 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 135 х 85 |
| Printer: | Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company Limited, New Malden |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Portrait of Jon Erickson.
Bas relief of Jon Eiriksson from his memorial page, issued to his 100 years birthday, in 1828.
The engraving is made by engraver of Danish National Bank - Erling Carl Vilhelm Eckersberg (25.09.1808 - 27.11.1889).
History is a Bas-relief comes from 1794, when there was the idea of installing an impressive monument to Jon Eiriksson, which had to be set on one of the coastal cliffs in Iceland.
The idea, in theory, was embodied by Icelandic, later naturalized, Norwegian lawyer and an architect, friend of Eiriksson - Olav Olavsen (before naturalization Ólafur Ólafsson; 25.12.1753 - 20.01.1832).
It was a monument of marble plan, with many allegorical figures, and even with a pool in front. The monument was planned to erect a bronze Bas-relief of Jon Eiriksson, which supposed to make Bertel Thorvaldsen, in Copenhagen. An engraving for a memorial page, was made by J. C. Seehusen, after a drawing by Olav Olavsen.
Olavsen’s intention was that the memorial should be made and constructed on a cliff in Iceland. However the memorial was never made.
In the above article from the Icelandic newspaper "Lesbok Morgunbladsin", issued on December 13, 1925, describes in detail how the monument was supposed to look. Unfortunately, I do not speak Icelandic, so I decided to wait for better opportunity to make the accurate translation of the article.
Avers:
Portrait of Jon Eirickson - Danish-Icelandic scientist (1728-1787). Was director of the Royal Library in Copenhagen. Wrote several works in Latin about ancient inhabitants of Scandinavia, published and translated "Speculum regale" (1768) and "Saga de Gunnlaug Ormstunga" (1775, 1776 with remarks). This engraving is made after the painting by Brynjólfur Þórðarson (Thordarson) (1896-1938), who, made the portrait, based on a drawing by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
With this bust happened the whole story.
In 1794 Bertel Thorvaldsen did the bust of Jon Eirickson, which was to be installed in Iceland. When sculpting a bust, he took the mask, that has been removed from the Eirickson's face, after his death.
However, in 1825, during transport in Iceland, the bust was broken, but the face mask has remained intact. Today it is kept in the National Museum, in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Later, in 1888, Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, acquired a plaster cast after the original model, which is now kept there.
Denominations in numerals are in all corners. Centered in words.
Revers:
Casual day on Vestmannaeyjar.
Vestmannaeyjar ("Westman Islands") is a town and archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of 4,135. The other islands are uninhabited, though six have single hunting cabins.
The engraving made after the photo by Loftur Gudmundsson.
Loftur Gudmundsson (August 18, 1892 - January 4, 1952) was an Icelandic photographer and filmmaker. He was the chief photographer of the country during the second quarter of the twentieth century. Being primarily a photographer (portrait maker), he also shot some events for many years for the Theater Reykjavik (Leikfélag Reykjavíkur). He was a pioneer of the Icelandic film and his first short film, The Adventures of John and Gvendar (Ævintýri Jóns og Gvendar) was shown in 1923. In the next few years he made several documentaries, and in 1949 was the premiere of his full length film in the Icelandic language, between the mountains and the coast (Milli fjalls og fjöru). In 1951 he directed the film Niðursetninginn, which was his last film. Loftur himself wrote the script for his film.
Around the picture are the first letters of the Icelandic bank LI (Landsbanki Islands).
Denominations in numerals are in all corners.
Comments:
Thanks a lot to Curatorial Assistant of Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen, Mrs. Kitt Holm, for all help with necessary materials.
An article in an Icelandic newspaper, issued in 1970, about a series of banknotes.
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