Item number: A1181

Year: AD 1922

Material: Copper-nickel

Size: 30.7 x 31.0 x 2.2 mm

Weight: 11.9 g

Manufactured by: Royal Danish Mint

Provenance: Denarius 2024

This coin was a token used in circulation in the mining town of Ivigtut, located in southwestern Greenland. The obverse features the denomination of 10 kroner in the centre, surrounded by the inscription of the issuing entity: the Cryolite Mining and Trading Company (KRYOLITHMINE OG HANDELSSELSKABET).

On the reverse, the central design displays a shield bearing a polar bear, the symbol of Greenland, surmounted by a winged miner’s helmet. To the left of the shield are a hammer and tools, while the right side is adorned with a shovel and a pickaxe. The upper inscription denotes the area of circulation: the Ivigtut Cryolite Mining District (IVIGTUT • KRYOLITHBRUD). The lower inscription shows the year of minting, AD 1922. To the left, the initials H•C•N represent the mint official, Hans Christian Nielsen, while the symbol ♥ signifies the Danish Royal Mint, and the initials G•J stand for the coin’s engraver, Gunnar Jensen.

Greenland possesses abundant natural resources, and the exploration and commercial extraction of various minerals provide economic benefits both to Greenland and Denmark. These activities contribute to local infrastructure development and create employment opportunities. Cryolite is a valuable mineral used as an additive in the aluminium smelting process, significantly reducing costs and playing an important role in the aviation industry, where lightweight aluminium is a crucial material for aircraft manufacturing.

During World War II, after Denmark’s surrender to Nazi Germany, the U.S. military took control of Greenland to prevent German activities in the North Atlantic, establishing military camps near Ivigtut. Following the war, and with Denmark’s membership in NATO, U.S. influence in Greenland continued to grow, affecting everything from the importation of everyday goods to the lifestyle of locals.

In AD 1940, the mining operations of the cryolite deposit were transferred from the Cryolite Mining and Trading Company to Øresund’s Chemical Factory A/S. The Danish government, as the primary shareholder (holding 50% of the shares), generated revenue from the shares without imposing special fees, using the profits as a source of social income. This arrangement led to debates within the Greenland Parliament over whether the income was being proportionally invested in local infrastructure. Additionally, there were concerns about whether the residents’ rights to influence matters of self-governance was being restricted.

As the cryolite reserves became depleted, the mine closed in AD 1987, leading to the gradual depopulation of Ivigtut, which eventually turned into a “ghost town.” Today, Ivigtut has become a destination for ruin tourism, preserving the original appearance of the former mining town, thus creating a unique time capsule that offers a glimpse into its past.

物件編號: A1181

年代: 公元 1922年

材質: 白銅

尺寸: 30.7 x 31.0 x 2.2 mm

重量: 11.9 g

製造地: 丹麥皇家鑄幣廠

來源: 第納里烏斯 2024

此硬幣為流通於格陵蘭西南部礦業城鎮伊維圖特「Ivigtut」的代幣。正面中央標示10克朗的幣值，外圈銘文為發行單位：冰晶石礦業貿易公司「KRYOLITH*MINE OG HANDELS*SELSKABET」。

背面中央為格陵蘭代表動物北極熊的盾徽，上方帶有附羽翼的礦工頭盔，左側以槌子及工具，右側以鏟子與十字鎬作為裝飾。上方的銘文為流通地區：伊維圖特冰晶石礦區「IVIGTUT • KRYOLITHBRUD」下方銘文標示年份為公元1922年，左側H•C•N為鑄幣廠負責人Hans Christian Nielsen的縮寫，右側的♥為丹麥皇家造幣廠的標示，G•J為鑄幣師Gunnar Jensen的縮寫。

格陵蘭島擁有豐富的自然資源，各類礦物的探勘及商業開採為其及丹麥帶來經濟收入，同時也推動地方建設與提供就業機會。冰晶石礦作為冶煉金屬鋁的添加劑，可大副降低成本，對航空業(飛機材料多為較輕的鋁)製造具重要價值。

二次大戰期間，丹麥向納粹德國投降後，美軍接管了格陵蘭島用以防範德軍在北大西洋的活動，在伊維圖特附近建設軍事營區。戰後隨著加入北約，美國影響力在格陵蘭持續擴大，從當地居民的日常商品進口到生活模式接受其影響。

冰晶石礦的開採在公元1940年由冰晶石礦業貿易公司轉移至厄爾海峽化工廠「Øresund’s chemiske Fabriker A/S」，丹麥政府作為主要股東(50％)在不收許特別費用的情形下，以股票收入作為社會收入的來源，這也導致格陵蘭議會對該收入是否符合比例的用於地方建設而有所爭論，以及當地居民對地方自治事項發表意見的權利是否遭限縮的質疑。

隨著冰晶石礦的枯竭，礦場於公元1987年關閉，伊維爾特逐漸人口外移，最終成為「鬼鎮」。現今的伊爾維特成為廢墟觀光的景點，保留了當時礦業城鎮的原貌，形成特殊的時空保存空間。