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| 500 Swedish Kroner |
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| 500 Swedish Kroner banknote |
Swedish krona, Swedish banknotes, Swedish paper money, Swedish bank notes, Sweden banknotes, Sweden paper money, Sweden bank notes.
Obverse: Portrait of Karl XI, King of Sweden 1672-1697. The portrait is taken from David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl's painting of 1682 depicting Karl XI at the battle of Lund 1676. The picture on the note is reversed so that the king's face is turned towards the centre of the note. It was during Karl XI's early reign, before he came of age, that what is now known as Sveriges Riksbank was founded, in 1668. Behind the royal portrait you can glimpse the first Riksbank building, which still stands at Järntorget in Stockholm.
The reverse of the note shows a drawing of Christopher Polhem, the father of Swedish engineering. When he submitted his first proposals for technical improvements in Swedish industry in the 1690s, he received Karl XI's whole-hearted support. Karl XI and Christopher Polhem were prominent figures in Sweden's administrative and technological renewal 300 years ago. During 20 years of peace Karl XI put Sweden's finances in order and reformed the government of the kingdom.
Behind the portrait can be seen the large gear wheel from Polhem's industrial plant at Stjärnsund in Dalarna. Within the wheel are some mathematical calculations taken from one of Polhem's notebooks. At the far left of the note is Falu copper mine, with one of Polhem's ore hauling plants.