“Too Weird for Banknotes”: Legitimacy and Identity in the Production of <scp>D</scp>anish Banknotes 1947–2007

Abstract

Abstract In this article I argue that questions of banknote design are closely related to ideas of the national collective. Using the D anish banknote design competitions from 1947 to 2007 as an exemplary case I show how the D anish central bank, N ationalbanken, continuously sought to balance banknote iconography between different and evolving perceptions of the national community in an attempt to underpin the legitimacy and authority of D anish banknotes. I suggest that concepts from institutional theory can explain this equipoise relationship and I argue that banknote designers need to somehow reconcile conflicting ideas about the national community. As such, this article contributes to a more detailed understanding of the considerations and challenges facing banknote‐issuing authorities.