Iceland Banknotes 1000 Icelandic Krona banknote 2001
Central Bank of Iceland - Seðlabanki Íslands
Obverse: Portrait of Brynjólfur Sveinsson (1605-1675), Bishop of Skálholt, with borders and background featuring pictures from a bedspread at the National Museum; the written denomination is in a typeface matching the inscription on the baptismal font at Brynjólfskirkja [Brynjólfur's church], Skálholt.
Reverse: Brynjólfskirkja church (1650-1802) at Skálholt, with a cross-section of it in the background. The main pattern is the same as on the borders on the obverse. At the side is an image of the Madonna from a gold ring owned by Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson.
Blind recognition feature: two vertical lines intaglio-printed on the obverse.
The watermark is a portrait of Jón Sigurðsson, leader of Iceland's independence movement. It is clearly visible on both sides of the note when held up to the light.
First put into circulation in 1984. In November 2004, the Central Bank of Iceland put an upgraded design of the 1000 kr. note into circulation. Size: 70 x 150 mm. Predominant colour: purple on multicoloured underprint.
Artists: Kristin Thorkelsdottir, Stephan Fairbairn.
Icelandic banknotes - Iceland paper money
1981-2013 Issue
Currency Reform 1981 (1:100)
In 1981, the Icelandic króna was devalued, due to hyperinflation, with 100 old krónur (ISJ) being worth 1 new króna (ISK).
10 Kronur 50 Kronur 100 Kronur 500 Kronur 1000 Kronur
Brynjólfur Sveinsson (14 September 1605 – 5 August 1675) served as the Lutheran Bishop of the see of Skálholt in Iceland. His main influence has been on modern knowledge of Old Norse literature. Brynjólfur is also known for his support of the career of the Icelandic poet and hymn writer Hallgrímur Pétursson. Brynjólfur Sveinsson is currently pictured on the Icelandic 1000 krónur bill.
Brynjólfur Sveinsson was born in Önundarfjörður in the Westfjords of northwestern Iceland. He studied at the University of Copenhagen 1624-1629 and became Provost of Roskilde University 1632-1638.
In 1643, he named the collection of Old Norse mythological and heroic poems Edda. Brynjólfur attributed the manuscript to Sæmundr fróði, but the scholarly consensus is that whoever wrote the Eddic poems, whether in the sense of being the compiler or the poet, it could not have been Sæmundr. It is believed that the manuscript has multiple authorship from over a long span of time.
In 1650 King Frederick the Third appointed Bishop Brynjólfur to succeed the late Stephanius as Royal Danish Historian. He declined the post but promised the king to do what he could to collect manuscripts in Iceland. One of his first acts was to request all people residing in his diocese to turn over to the King any old manuscripts, either an original or a copy, as a gift or for a price.
Among the most monumental of the Icelandic manuscripts thus collected is the Flateyjarbók, which was secured only after a personal visit to the owner from Brynjólfur. Jon Finnsson (Jóni Finnssyni) of Flatey, Breiðafjörður, who owned the manuscript, was initially unwilling to give up his precious heirloom. After a personal visit and persuasion from Bishop Brynjólfur, Finnsson gave up the valuable manuscript. The manuscript was given to King Frederick III in 1656, and placed in the Royal Library of Copenhagen.