Banknotes
This section covers the last design series of the Finnish markka, designed in the 1980s by Finnish designer Erik Bruun and issued in 1986.
| Denomination | Image | Main colour | Reverse | Obverse | Remark | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 markkaa | Blue | Paavo Nurmi (1897 – 1973), athlete and Olympic winner | Helsinki Olympic Stadium | Discontinued upon introduction of the 20 markkaa note | ||
| 20 markkaa | Blue/green | Väinö Linna (1920 – 1992), author and novelist | Tammerkoski bridge | Introduced in 1993 | ||
| 50 markkaa | Brown | Alvar Aalto (1898 – 1976), architect | Finlandia Hall | |||
| 100 markkaa | Green | Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), composer | Swans | |||
| 500 markkaa | Red | Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884), compiler of Kalevala | Forest hiking trail | |||
| 1000 markkaa | Blue/purple | Anders Chydenius (1729–1803), priest and statesman | Kuninkaanportti gate in Suomenlinna | |||
| 5000 markkaa | Red/purple | Mikael Agricola (1510–1557), priest and linguist | Turku Cathedral | The note was never introduced. It was only a backup plan for inflation. | ||
On this final banknote series, Bank of Finland used a photograph of Väinö Linna on the 20 markkaa note without permission from copyright holders. This was only revealed after several million notes were in use. The Bank paid 100,000 mk (€17,000) compensation to rights holders.
The second-to-last banknote design series, designed by Tapio Wirkkala, was introduced in 1955 and revised in the reform of 1963. It was the first series to depict actual specific persons. These included Juho Kusti Paasikivi on the 10 markkaa note, K. J. Ståhlberg on the 50 markkaa, J. V. Snellman on the 100 markkaa and Urho Kekkonen on the 500 markkaa note (introduced later).
Unlike Erik Bruun's series, this series did not depict any other real-life subjects, but only abstract ornaments in addition to the person depictions. A popular joke at the time was to cover Paasikivi's face except for his ear and back of the head on the 10 markkaa note, ending up with something resembling a mouse, said to be the only animal illustration in the entire series.
The still-older notes, designed by Eliel Saarinen, were introduced in 1922. They also depicted people, but these were generic men and women, and did not represent any specific individuals. The fact that these men and women were depicted nude caused a minor controversy at the time.
Coins and banknotes that were legal tender at the time of the markka's retirement could be exchanged for euros until February 29, 2012.
Read more about this topic: Finnish Markka