Currency of Sweden 500 Krona banknote 2016 Birgit Nilsson
Swedish National Bank - Sveriges Riksbank
Obverse: Opera singer Birgit Nilsson (1918–2005) is considered the leading Wagnerian soprano of her day with a successful career that spanned the world. Portrait engraved after a photograph by Enar Merkel Rydberg which shows Birgit Nilsson in the role of Brünnhilde, taken in conjunction with a 1968 production of Richard Wagner's opera Die Walküre.
At left: Brünnhilde in Die Walküre - Image from a rehearsal of the first act of Die Walküre in scenographer Jan Brazda's production, 1968. Birgit Nilsson is seen in the role of Brünnhilde and Jerker Arvidson in the role of Wotan. Photograph by Enar Merkel Rydberg, former photographer at the Royal Swedish Opera.
Three Crowns (Swedish: Tre Kronor) is a national emblem of Sweden, present in the coat of arms of Sweden, and composed of three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below.
Minitext: Birgit Nilsson's opera roles - Minitext that can be read with the aid of a magnifying glass (in translation: Agathe, Aida, Amelia, Ariadne, Brünnhilde, Donna Anna, Elektra, Elettra, Elisabeth, Elsa, the Marschallin, the Dyer's Wife, Isolde, Judith, Lady Macbeth, Leonore, Lisa, Minnie, Ortlinde, Penelope, Rezia, Salome, Senta, Sieglinde, Sigrun, Tosca, Turandot, Ursula, Venus, Woglinde):
Agathe, Aida, Amelia, Ariadne, Brünnhilde, Donna Anna, Elektra, Elettra, Elisabeth, Elsa, Fältmarskalkinnan, Färgarfrun, Isolde, Judith, Lady Macbeth, Leonore, Lisa, Minnie, Ortlinde, Penelope, Rezia, Salome, Senta, Sieglinde, Sigrun, Tosca, Turandot, Ursula, Venus, Woglinde.
Reverse: Skåne, where Birgit Nilsson grew:
The Öresund Bridge - The Öresund Bridge, the 15.9 km long link between Malmö and Copenhagen that opened on 1 July 2000.
Ox-eye daisy - The provincial flower of Skåne, the ox-eye daisy.
Birgit Nilsson’s Skåne - Map of Sweden with the province of Skåne marked, where Birgit Nilsson grew up on a farm on the peninsula of Bjäre.
Signature: Johan Gernandt and Stefan Ingves.
Watermark: Birgit Nilsson and electrotype 500.
Measures: 147 x 66 millimetres
Thickness: 125 micrometres +/- 10%
Colour: Red
Banknote paper: Manufactured of cotton fibres that are not fluorescent, which is to say they do not emit any light under ultraviolet light (other types of paper may emit a bluish glow).
Banknote numbers: The letters indicate the year in which the banknote was printed. A = 2013, B = 2014 etc. The two first digits indicate where on the printing sheet the banknote was printed. The final seven digits are a serial number.
Printer: Tumba Bruk - Tumba Bruk is the printing company responsible for manufacturing of the Swedish krona banknotes.
Security details
Watermark: Watermark with the banknote's denomination and portrait that are visible when you hold the banknote to the light. The denomination appears significantly lighter than the rest of the paper.
See-through picture: A pattern that, together with a matching pattern on the reverse, forms the denomination when you hold the banknote to the light.
Security ribbon: Vertical red security ribbon with three windows. The windows feature images that move and alternate motif between KR and a royal crown when you tilt the banknote. The placement of the security strip may vary by up to 2 cm.
Security thread: Security thread embedded in the banknote paper. Visible as a dark line when you hold the banknote up to the light.
Intaglio print: Intaglio print, which makes the paper feel like a banknote and gives it a noticeable raised surface. Run your thumb over it or scrape lightly with a fingernail. Intaglio printing has been used for the portrait, denominations, the text SVERIGESRIKSBANK and the markings identifying the denomination.
UV image: UV image (three crowns) that fluoresces (glows) yellow and blue under ultraviolet light.
Colour-shifting image: Colour-shifting image linked to the person portrayed on the banknote, in this case a G-clef. The banknote's denomination, 500, is also shown in the image. The image and the denomination gradually change colour between gold and green when you tilt the banknote.
UV fibres: UV fibres spread across the entire banknote that fluoresce (glow) yellow and blue under ultraviolet light.