Peter Anker (31 July 1744 – 17 April 1832) was a Norwegian diplomat, military officer and colonial general.

Anker was born in Fredrikshald, Norway as a son of Erik Ancher (1709–1785) and Anne Catherine Tank (1723–1761).

He was a careful illustrator and his diagrams of Newcomen steam engines from England introduced the concept into Norway and Denmark.

While there he collected local art and made a series of drawing and painting which are now in the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Oslo.

[3] Anker did not marry but lived with an English widow named Mallard who died in 1791.