The new Danish coins with King Frederik X have now entered circulation in Denmark, almost two years after the change of monarch, bringing a refreshed design to the Danish krone while keeping the existing coins in daily use.
From royal portrait to everyday payments
Danmarks Nationalbank has officially presented five new circulation coins featuring King Frederik X, marking the first major redesign of Danish coins in 36 years. The updated series covers the familiar denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 kroner, while the 50-øre coin keeps its current appearance.
The reform is not a currency change but a symbolic update that aligns Danish cash with the new monarch. All existing coins with Queen Margrethe II remain legal tender and will continue to circulate alongside the new ones. Over time, worn coins will be replaced, and the new designs are expected to become the ones most commonly seen in wallets, cash tills and vending machines.
For consumers and businesses, the transition is designed to be seamless. The new pieces have exactly the same size, weight, value and metal composition as the previous series, so they can be used in shopping trolleys, ticket machines and coin-operated devices without technical adjustments.
How the new Frederik X coins are designed
The visual language of the Frederik X coins combines tradition with a more contemporary graphic style. On the 10- and 20-kroner coins, the king appears in profile with the inscription “Frederik X – Danmarks konge”, while the reverse shows the royal coat of arms with shield and crown, together with the denomination and minting year.
On the smaller 1-, 2- and 5-kroner coins, the focus shifts from portrait to monogram. Their obverse side carries King Frederik X’s royal monogram, framed by the year of issue, while the reverse side features the coin’s value, the word “Danmark” and a new abstract icon made of four repeated octagonal shapes around a shared centre.
The artistic work behind the coins is also split between different roles. The portrait of King Frederik X is created by sculptor Eva Hjorth, while the overall design is developed by Danmarks Nationalbank’s design chief Jeanette Skov Jensen. The result is a series that keeps clear links to earlier coins, but introduces sharper lines and a distinct geometric motif on the lower denominations.
Where and when people will see the new coins
The new Danish coins with King Frederik X entered circulation on 2 December 2025. From that date, they have been shipped from Danmarks Nationalbank to cash-handling companies, which in turn supply banks, supermarkets and other retailers with mixed rolls of old and new coins.
In practice, this means that people using cash may gradually receive the new designs as change at the checkout. Cash-handling company Nokas has already distributed the first rolls, for example to Netto supermarkets in Brøndby and Harlev, making them among the earliest places where shoppers can encounter the new coins.
There is no special collector status attached to these pieces: they are ordinary circulation coins, not part of a commemorative series. However, private collectors can still obtain complete sets through specialist dealers working with the central bank.
Because the coins have the same physical characteristics as the old series, retailers and transport operators do not need to sort them separately or update their equipment. Old and new coins are mixed in the same cash flow, and staff are advised to treat them in exactly the same way when accepting or returning change.
A long tradition of kings on Danish coins
The introduction of the new Danish coins with King Frederik X continues a tradition that reaches back more than a thousand years. Since the first official Danish coin issued under King Sweyn Forkbeard around the year 995, the country’s coinage has usually carried the name, portrait or monogram of the reigning monarch.
Historically, the monarch was responsible for issuing currency, and the presence of the king on the coin served as a guarantee of its value and metal content. Modern central banks have taken over that role, but the symbolic link between the crown and the currency remains visible in the design.
The Danish system also reflects a wider European pattern. Several other constitutional monarchies, such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway, place the sovereign’s portrait or monogram on national coins. In Denmark’s case, this visual continuity bridges the long reign of Queen Margrethe II and the newer, still unfolding reign of King Frederik X.
One notable exception in the current series is the 50-øre coin, which does not carry an individual regent’s portrait or monogram but a Danish royal crown. Because its design is not tied to a specific monarch and existing stocks are still sufficient, no new 50-øre pieces are being produced at this stage.
