May 12, 2011 – Astrid Lindgren, Evert Taube, Greta Garbo, Ingmar Bergman, Birgit Nilsson and Dag Hammarskjöld will be the motifs on Sweden’s new banknotes. This is the decision of the General Council of the Riksbank. The new coins will continue to have Sweden’s head of state as motif. The General Council of the Riksbank has also decided on the sizes, materials and colours of the new banknotes and coins.
Astrid Lindgren will appear on the new 20 krona banknote. – Source: Jacob Forsell / Scanpix.
“The General Council has chosen people who have made positive and important contributions to Sweden’s cultural heritage during the 20th century. We believe that the new motifs reflect Sweden’s cultural heritage and different parts of our country in a positive and representative way,” say Johan Gernandt and Leif Pagrotsky, Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively of the General Council. “Of course, achieving an equal balance between women and men has also been important.”
Each banknote will consist of a portrait and a nature/environment motif. The nature motif has a clear link to the person portrayed on each banknote.
| Denomination | Portrait | Nature and environment motifs |
| 20 krona | Astrid Lindgren | Småland |
| 50 krona | Evert Taube | Bohuslän |
| 100 krona | Greta Garbo | Stockholm |
| 200 krona | Ingmar Bergman | Gotland |
| 500 krona | Birgit Nilsson | Skåne |
| 1,000 krona | Dag Hammarskjöld | Lappland |
In the selection of motif, the General Council of the Riksbank decided that the persons concerned should have lived and worked during the 20th century, should be popular with the general public and, preferably, should also be well-known internationally. They should also represent different parts of Sweden.
The banknotes
The new banknotes will be made of cotton and will be smaller than the current ones. The height of all denominations will be 66 mm, while the length will vary between 120 and 154 mm.
The blue 100 krona bancnote features film diva Greta Garbo. – Source: Jacob Forsell / Scanpix.
The colours of the banknotes will be grey-brown (1,000 krona), red (500 krona), green (200 krona), blue (100 krona), yellow/orange (50 krona) and purple (20 krona). The banknotes will be equipped with special features in intaglio print for the visually impaired. The notes will also be equipped with new security details, one for the lower denominations of 20 and 50 krona and two for the higher denominations.
The coins
The 1-krona, 2-krona and 5-krona coins will be smaller and lighter than the current coins, while the 10-krona coin will be kept unchanged. The 1-krona and 2-krona coins will be made of copper-plated steel, while the 5-krona and 10-krona coins will be made of the alloy Nordic gold. The edges of the coins will be milled to assist the visually impaired. As regards the graphic design of the coins, the Riksbank’s coin supplier will submit proposals that the General Council will then decide upon.
In April, the Riksbank will announce a design competition for the banknotes. This competition will take place in 2011. If no intellectual property law problems arise, the General Council of the Riksbank is expected to be able to reach a decision on the final design for the notes by the beginning of 2012.
The timetable for the introduction of the new banknotes and coins will be set in 2011, in consultation with the banks, the retail trade and cash management companies. The preparations will take 4-5 years, which means that the new banknotes and coins will be issued in around 2014-2015.
More information on the new banknotes and coins, can be found here.