25 öre 1951
“red cross”
About This Note
This is a 25 öre emergency voucher issued by Danske Røde Kors (Danish Red Cross) in 1951 for use aboard the hospital ship Jutlandia. The note features an attractive turquoise/teal background with red cross symbols in all four corners and a repeating 'DRK' security pattern throughout. Presented in UNC condition with crisp, clear printing and no visible wear, this scarce humanitarian emergency currency represents a unique chapter in Danish Red Cross history.
Rare. This is a highly specialized emergency voucher with severely restricted circulation—issued only for use aboard a single vessel (the hospital ship Jutlandia) in 1951. The Pick catalog lists it as unlisted, indicating limited recognition in standard numismatic references. Production was likely small, redemption was geographically and institutionally confined, and most examples would have been destroyed after use. Survival in UNC condition is particularly noteworthy and suggests minimal circulation.
The Jutlandia was a famous Danish hospital ship operated by the Red Cross, particularly active in the post-World War II period providing medical relief and assistance. This 1951 voucher represents emergency scrip issued for onboard transactions among crew and patients, denominated in Danish öre. The dual Danish-English inscriptions reflect the international nature of the Red Cross mission and the ship's role in humanitarian work during the Cold War era.
This certificate-style voucher employs a clean, institutional design appropriate to its humanitarian purpose. The dominant turquoise/teal background is framed by red horizontal bands at top and bottom, creating a structured appearance. Red cross symbols—the iconic emblem of the International Red Cross—are positioned in all four corners, reinforcing the issuer's identity. A repeating 'DRK' pattern serves as both a security feature and background fill. The central text is printed in red, contrasting sharply against the teal field. The bilingual presentation (Danish and English) and reference to specific vessel 'Jutlandia' indicate this was purpose-built emergency currency with restricted circulation.
Front/Obverse: 'DANSK RØDE KORS' (Danish Red Cross) | '25 ØRE' (25 øre denomination) | 'JUTLANDIASEDDEL' (Jutlandia Note/Voucher) | 'Må kun anvendes som betalingsmiddel ombord på hospitalsskibet Jutlandia efter de herfør givne bestemmelser.' (Danish: May only be used as means of payment on board the hospital ship Jutlandia in accordance with given regulations.) | 'For use only as means of payment on board the hospitalship Jutlandia in accordance with given regulations.' (English translation of same restriction)
Lithographic printing, likely from a Danish security printer. The clean, uniform color fields, precise corner registration of the red cross symbols, and consistent background pattern suggest professional lithographic production. The repeating 'DRK' pattern indicates a multi-color lithographic process with careful color separation and registration.
This note is catalogued as Pick-unlisted for Denmark, indicating it falls outside standard currency classifications. As a specialized Red Cross emergency voucher rather than official national currency, it represents a distinct category of humanitarian scrip. No date variants or serial number varieties are apparent from the visual analysis. Both images (den9a and den9b) appear to be identical specimens, confirming consistent production specifications for this issue.
