seems to be a kind of imposition practiced
on some particular persons, since it is not
exacted from all alike. Another deduction
is also made for rank-tax, unless the officers
are exempted from it by special permission;
and such is the case throughout the whole
of his Danish Majesty’s dominions: all are
obliged to pay a tax in proportion to the
rank they maintain; whether this rank is
obtained by the employments they hold
in the state, or whether it is a mere title.
The current money of the country is
chiefly Danish bank-notes of ninety-six
skillings value each. One skilling is equal
to a halfpenny English, sixteen skillings
constitute one mark Danish, and six marks
Danish one rix-dollar. These bank-notes
are, however, distinguished from those current
in Denmark, by having a few Icelandic
words printed on the back, specifying
their value. The only specie to be met
with consists of these skillings, penny, twopenny,
and fourpenny pieces of an adulterated
silver: all other silver and gold coin,
which used to be seen in abundance, is now
almost unknown.
A rix-dollar, as just observed, should be
equal to four shillings English, and such
was the case, or very nearly so, before the
breaking out of the war between the two
countries, but, at present, on account of the
low course of exchange, it is not more than
equal to one-third of that value. It will be
seen that the regular expenditure of the island
is nearly twenty thousand rix-dollars or
^ 4,000 sterling; other occasional expences,
however, make it amount to nearly ^£6,000,
that is, thirty thousand rix-dollars. These
extra expences are supplied by the King of
Denmark in bank-notes, which he annually
remits to the island.
Account o f Salaries and Pensions paid yearly
in Iceland by the Landfogued, Frydensberg.
SALARIES.
From the Jordebog’s Casse
Rdr. Sk. Rdr. Sk.
The Stiftsamptman’s regular pay ...'. 1200 0
Deduction .................... 28 O
Rank-tax deducted 70 0 98 O
1102 O
Augmentation of pay.................... 300 O
Total salary with deductions and additional pay 1402 0