5 skilling 1942
Market Prices
7 salesAbout This Note
This 1942 Greenland 5 Skilling military payment note represents an uncommon wartime currency issued under Danish administration during World War II. The note displays pristine uncirculated condition with crisp blue printing on cream stock, featuring an ornate border design and the official seal of Grønlands Administration. The elegant script typography and dual-language inscriptions reflect the administrative formality of this emergency trade certificate issued during Greenland's strategic importance to Denmark and the Allied powers.
Common. While these are military payment notes from a limited territory, the eBay market data shows consistent sales in the $15-70 range for UNC specimens across multiple transactions from 2012-2025, with a 2008 catalog value of $20 UNC. The frequency of sales at modest prices and the stability of valuations around $30-40 for typical UNC examples indicate adequate supply in the collector market. These notes, while historically interesting, were produced in sufficient quantities for regular circulation in wartime Greenland and remain available to collectors at reasonable prices.
Issued during World War II when Greenland remained under Danish sovereignty but came under de facto American military protection following the Nazi occupation of Denmark in 1940. The 'Handels Værdimerke' (Trade Certificate) designation reflects the wartime economic controls and the need for auxiliary currency to facilitate commerce in the isolated territory. The crown symbol and official seal of Grønlands Administration underscore the maintenance of Danish administrative authority throughout the occupation period.
A formal trade certificate with classical Danish-Greenlandic administrative design elements. The left side features an oval seal bearing the crowned emblem of Grønlands Administration surrounded by a decorative gear-tooth border, symbolizing commerce and official authority. The center and right portions display the denomination '5' prominently in large numerals with corresponding corner denominations, flanked by vertical 'Shilling' text on both margins. The overall design utilizes an ornamental repeating border pattern in blue ink, with elegant script typography for the main inscriptions. The crown symbol appears twice—once integrated into the administrative seal and once at the top center—reinforcing the note's official Danish sovereignty. The cream/beige background stock and refined typography reflect the formal status of this certificate as legal tender rather than casual currency.
Front side: 'GRØNLANDS ADMINISTRATION' (Greenlands Administration) - appears on the official seal and as repeated text along borders; 'Handels Værdimerke' (Trade Certificate); 'Shilling' (denomination name, in English); '5' (denomination numeral, appears in all four corners). Back side: Design elements present but not legible in provided image due to faintness, though crown symbol appears to be present.
Letterpress printing in blue ink on cream stock. The crisp impression of the border ornaments, the clarity of the seal detail with gear-tooth rendering, and the sharp typography are characteristic of quality letterpress production typical of Scandinavian security printers of the era. The multiple passes required for the seal and denomination elements suggest multi-stage letterpress production.
Pick catalog P-M9 represents the single identified variant for the 5 Skilling denomination. PMG population data indicates one variant catalogued under this Pick number. No significant signature, date, serial number prefix, or overprint variations are evident in the visual analysis, suggesting this is a standard issue without documented sub-varieties.
