Olav V Coronation

The most intriguing fact about Olav V's 1958 coronation coin is that it features a portrait by engraver Harald Damm, who managed to make the king look both regal and slightly bemused, as if he'd rather be fishing.

Damm's design, with its clean lines and Norwegian symbols on the reverse, reflects the straightforward style of mid-century Scandinavian minting. The coin was struck in silver at the Royal Norwegian Mint, using techniques that harked back to older traditions but with modern precision. We know it was issued to commemorate the coronation on June 22, 1958, though exact mintage figures were never published and might have been lost in later archives.

One oddity: despite its ceremonial purpose, some pieces turned up in everyday circulation, which puzzled even the mint officials at the time. As for myths about hidden treasures or cursed edges, I've heard them all and they wear thin after three decades. That's the coin's story, plain and unadorned.