Several hundred years passed before European re-colonization began again in Greenland. Spurred by the arrival in 1714 A.D. of Norwegian Lutheran missionary Hans Egede, now referred to as the Apostle of Greenland. Egede supported by the King Frederick IV of Denmark, set sail for Greenland with three ships on 3.5.1721, accompanied by his wife Gertrud and their children. He was to seek the old Viking colony on Greenland but found no survivors upon his arrival on 3.7.1721. He then began the arduous work of establishing a Danish mission colony on Greenland, which ultimately proved to be the seeds of the present day government. It was not successful at first and by 1733 the Danish government became the primary supporter of both the mission and trade activity.

With great difficulty Egede learned the native Eskimo language and endured the extreme conditions. With the help of the Bergen Company he succeeded in founding the colony of Godthaab (now Nuuk). In addition to his missionary work, his colony established significant commerce with Denmark. During his remarkable work helping overcome a small pox epidemic in 1735, his wife succumbed. His health later deteriorated and he returned to Denmark in 1738. He died on  5.11.1758 after spending his remaining years as Bishop of Greenland, training workers for the Greenland Mission, creating a unique Greenland catechism and writing a book on the natural history of Greenland. His book contained a wonderful map of Greenland that he drew in 1737 as well as extensive descriptions of life in Greenland, Eskimo culture, language, their knowledge of the stars and other information he had learned in his 15 years in Greenland. Egede was made the national saint of Greenland. His son, Paul Hansen Egede remained in Greenland replacing his father as Superintendent until his death on 3.6.1789.

In 1776 a Danish trade monopoly (KGH), similar to the Hudson Bay Company and the Russian-American Company, was established as the Royal Greenland Trade Department (Den Kongelige Grønlandske Handel) to control all trading in the colony. From this point on all Greenland trade of sealskins, train oil, whalebones, narwhale tusks and fox skins was done through the trading company. Initially established to protect Greenland against barter from European whalers, it expanded in 1903 to include halibut, cod and salmon franchises. All administrative and financial affairs of Greenland were managed by KGH until 1908. Although no longer a monopoly, this same company continues to operate today as Royal Greenland A.S., with shipping, fish products and trade divisions. The first confirmed KGH Greenland printed paper currency issues appeared in 1803 under the title of Kongelige Grønlandske Handel(KGH). A handwritten issue of 1801 has been reported but not confirmed. The known notes are pictured starting in section P.A1 - P.A4.

When Norway was ceded to Sweden with the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, Denmark retained Greenland. In 1912 the Danish government assumed full control of the administration of Greenland. In 1932 Norway annexed the east coast (Eric the Red's Land) but withdrew in 1933. On 9.4.1941 Greenland became a protectorate of the United States which ended in May 1945. On 5.6.1953 Greenland became a province of Denmark and it joined the European Community (now the European Union) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute over stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament with Denmark providing control of Greenland's foreign affairs. Greenland currently uses the Danish Krone as its currency.