The 1890 20 Kroner has a mintage of 102,000. It was minted in Copenhagen, as signified by the heart to the left of the date. The initials CS to the right of the date represent mint official Diderik Christian Andreas Svendsen. The coin struck in .900 fine gold weighs 8.9605 grams and has an AGW of .2593oz.

 

The obverse of this coin features a right-facing bust of King Christian IX. The initials HC at the base of Christian IX's truncated neck represent the coins engraver, Harald Conradsen. The reverse features a seated image of Dania with her left forearm resting on the upper rim of a shield engraved with the Danish coat of arms. Dania is seen holding a scepter in her right hand, representing Denmark's sovereignty. A sheaf of corn behind Dania represents Denmark's agricultural economy and its main export. Finally, at the feet of Dania, illustrating Danish naval prowess, is a dolphin, which denotes good luck and fair weather.

 

There is a saying, which asserts that a common perception can become a reality. For example, the wings on Liberty's headdress of the Mercury Dime signify freedom of thought. However, the public perceived the coin to represent the Roman god Mercury. Thus, the "Winged Liberty Head Dime" is forever known as "The Mercury Dime."

 

Another public perception born of a Danish fascination with mermaids applies to the Danish 20 Kroner coin, commonly referred to as the "Mermaid Coin." Now the image on the reverse of the 20 Kroner is clearly not a mermaid. However, it can appear that way in the imagination of the person viewing the coin by merging the dolphin's tail into the feet of Dania.

 

Denmark, as a maritime nation, would naturally be attracted to anything concerning the sea. Add to this the charm of seagoing folklore, and it is easy to see the connection between the Danish people and the "Mermaid Coin." Danish author Hans Christian Anderson tapped into the essence of this when he published the popular children's fairytale "The Little Mermaid" in 1837. Later in 1909, commissioned by brewer and art collector Carl Jacobsen, sculptor Edvard Eriksen fashioned a statue based on "The Little Mermaid." Now an iconic symbol of Copenhagen, the life-size bronze of "The Little Mermaid" sits on a rock in the harbor off Langelinie Promenade.

 

Here in the United States, most of us identify more with the 1989 Walt Disney adaptation of "The Little Mermaid." My daughter was only five when this movie first came out, and I remember her fascination with mermaids. I recall an instance at the grocery store with my daughter when we walked by a "Chicken of the Sea" placard in the tuna fish aisle. At the sight of the placard, my "Little Girl" pointed and said, "Daddy, Mermaid." Along with a picture of a mermaid were redemption coupons offering to send us a free stuffed mermaid in exchange for several tuna labels. Wrapped around my daughter's little finger, I tore off one of the redemption coupons. You can well imagine what happened after that. Let us just say that we ate a lot of "Chicken of the Sea" tuna for a while!

 

Many of the coins in my collection remind me of fond life experiences, and this coin is no exception. This coin reminds me of the cherished times I had with my daughter. One of the beauties of numismatics is that the interpretation of symbolic images is often in the "eyes of the beholder." While artists and engravers have their own ideas about their coins' symbolism, it all comes down to how you perceive the coin in your hand!

 

Pictured with my coin is a 1911 Edmund Dulac Illustration of the Little Mermaid and the Prince. Gary