Part of the roof of a Norwegian stave church became the emblem of Harald V’s new 10 kroner, and 1995 is the year that opens the type.

The obverse is by the sculptor Nils Aas: the king’s portrait facing right, the artist’s signature «NAA» and the legends «HARALD V» and «ALT FOR NORGE» («All for Norway»), the royal motto of the country. The reverse shows part of a stave church roof with the value «10 KR», the year and the Kongsberg mintmark, a crossed pick and hammer, below.

The new coin weighed 6.8 grams, far lighter than Olav V’s 10 kroner, and its edge alternates plain and milled sections. In its first year more than 56.8 million pieces were struck. Until 2007 it also carried the initials of the mint director.

Uncirculated condition: the coin never circulated, shows no wear and keeps its mint lustre. The first year of the type is the starting point for a Harald V 10 kroner date run and a fine find for an architecture-on-coins collection.

The VPcoins catalogue includes both modern commemorative issues and coins of past eras.