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The Kingdom of Elleore was established
in 1944 when a group of schoolteachers purchased the small island of Elleore
in the firth of Roskilde,
for use as a summer camp, and then proclaimed its independence from
Denmark.
Elleore is roughly triangular in shape
- each side approximately 400 metres long - and its only permanent
residents are a population of birds, however the Kingdom's human
citizens are permitted to visit for one week every year. The journey
from Roskilde takes 17 minutes by rowboat. Although little known outside
Scandinavia it is one of the longest-lived micronations of the modern era, and has periodically
minted coins since 1969.
Based on information supplied by Prime
Minister J K Nielsen, Earl Campi Deux, the line of Elleore's royal
rulers began with Erik I (reigning 1945-49) and was followed by Leo I
(1949-60), Erik II (1961-72), Leo II (1972-86), Queen Leodora I
(1986-2003) and the present King Leo III, who was crowned on 22
February, 2003.
The man featured on
USNS-KEL-C-004 is Hans Neerbek, the founder of the Kingdom of Elleore,
who is known as "His Grace the Archduke of Nør
Len". The Danish inscription on this coin
translates as "Father of the Kingdom, Our Beloved". The Archduke was the
brother of Leo II, but never reigned as king himself.
There appears to be some controversy
surrounding the 1983 coin that features a king identified as Leo III.
According to Prime Minister Nielsen USNS-KEL-C-003 displays the double
profile of the Grand Duke of Kajsnude, who was "crowned for one day" in
1983, and reigned as King Os I, although the coronation was only
considered symbolic, and he is not officially listed as a King of
Elleore. Mr Nielsen states that the coin was prepared in advance of the
coronation, and that the use of the name Leo III was a mistake.
© 2005, USNS
/ G Cruickshank.
Information and scans courtesy of
J K Nielsen and G
Cruickshank. |
