‎NATIONALBANKEN I KØBENHAVN‎
‎Octroy for Nationalbanken i Kjøbenhavn paa 90 aar. Louisenlund, den 4de Julii 1818 - [THE CONSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATION OF THE DANISH NATIONAL BANK]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Schultziske Officin, (1818). 8vo. Without wrappers, with marbled paper backstrip. Nice and clean. 38 pp.‎

Reference : 62981

‎Rare first edition of this grant being the constitutional foundation of the Danish National Bank and the seminal turning point in restoring Denmark’s monetary credibility after years of inflation and instability. By this charter Danmarks Nationalbank (central bank of the Kingdom of Denmark) was formally established as an independent central bank with the exclusive right to issue banknotes and conduct central banking operations. The charter defined both institutional independence and clear objectives. Ownership was placed in private hands - primarily property owners - explicitly to prevent political misuse of the printing press and to separate the bank from both state finances and private interests. “The charter also laid down the bank’s core mandate: to secure a stable monetary system and to promote money circulation in support of production and trade. It legally bound the bank to continue the Rigsbank’s deflationary policy - reducing the volume of banknotes, restoring their silver parity and ultimately making them redeemable in silver. Public destruction of withdrawn notes symbolized this commitment and was intended to rebuild trust. Finally, the charter established a durable governance structure, balancing royal oversight with internal self-recruitment, and formal supervision by a royal bank commissioner. Although the practical effects—silver convertibility and dividends—were delayed until 1845, the Charter of 4 July 1818 was the legal and institutional anchor that made long-term monetary stabilization possible, demonstrating that credibility in money rests on firm rules, independence, and time.” (Abildgren, Danmarks Nationalbank 1818-2018).‎