Croatia Monetary Unit: History, Currency, and Payment Methods

Croatia's monetary unit has a rich history that dates back to 1991 when the country declared its independence from Yugoslavia. The Croatian dinar was the official currency at that time.

The Croatian dinar was replaced by the Kuna in 1994, which has been the official currency of Croatia ever since. The Kuna is divided into 100 smaller units called Lipa.

You can exchange your money for Kuna at any bank or currency exchange office in Croatia. Many shops, restaurants, and hotels also accept major credit cards like Visa and Mastercard.

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The history of Croatian currency is a fascinating story that spans centuries. Records exist from the Middle Ages of a tax and/or currency in marten skins, known as marturina or kunovina, in Lower Pannonia, modern-day Hungary and Slavonia.

The first minted currency in Slavonia was the frizatik, but it was later replaced by the banovac, a silver coin adorned with a marten. This coin was issued by the Ban of Slavonia in the 13th century.

The idea of a kuna currency reappeared in the 20th century, when the Banovina of Croatia planned to issue its own money, along with the Yugoslav dinar, in 1939.

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Croatia has a long history of using the kuna as its currency, with records dating back to the Middle Ages of a tax and/or a currency in the highly valued marten skins.

The term "kuna" was first recorded in Lower Pannonia, modern-day Hungary and Slavonia, as "marturina" or "kunovina". This was a significant milestone in the development of Croatian currency.

In the 13th century, the Ban of Slavonia issued a silver coin called the banovac, adorned with a marten design.

The idea of a kuna currency reappeared in 1939 when the Banovina of Croatia planned to issue its own money, along with the Yugoslav dinar.

The kuna was used as the official currency of the Independent State of Croatia from 1941 to 1945.

The kuna has no relation to the Slavic currencies named "koruna" (translated as kruna in Croatian), which means "crown".

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The kuna has a rich history, dating back to the Middle Ages in Lower Pannonia, modern-day Hungary and Slavonia, where it was recorded as marturina or kunovina.

One of the earliest forms of kuna currency was the frizatik, which was minted in Slavonia. The Ban of Slavonia issued a marten-adorned silver coin called the banovac in the 13th century.

The idea of a kuna currency reappeared in 1939 when the Banovina of Croatia, an autonomous province, planned to issue its own money. This was followed by the Independent State of Croatia, which used the kuna as its currency in 1941.

The modern kuna was introduced on May 30, 1994, as a replacement for the Croatian dinar. One kuna was equivalent to 1,000 dinars at a fixed exchange rate.

The kuna was pegged to the Deutsche Mark from the start, and later to the euro after the mark's replacement. This peg kept the kuna's exchange rate relatively stable, remaining at a near constant 7.5:1 rate against the euro.

Croatia joined the European Union on July 1, 2013, and the Exchange Rate Mechanism on July 10, 2020, at a rate of 7.53450 HRK to €1.

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The modern kuna was introduced on 30 May 1994, replacing the Croatian dinar, which was in use since 1991. One kuna was equivalent to 1,000 dinars at a fixed exchange rate.

The kuna was pegged to the Deutsche Mark from the start, and with the replacement of the mark by the euro, the kuna's peg effectively switched to the euro. This meant that the exchange rate between the kuna and the euro remained relatively stable.

Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013 and the Exchange Rate Mechanism on 10 July 2020 at a rate of 7.53450 HRK to €1.

The modern kuna was introduced on 30 May 1994, replacing the Croatian dinar, which was in use since 1991. It was pegged to the Deutsche Mark from the start, and later switched to the euro when the mark was replaced.

One kuna was equivalent to 1,000 dinars at a fixed exchange rate. The kuna's peg effectively switched to the euro when the mark was replaced.

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The choice of the name kuna was a bit contentious, but it was ultimately deemed acceptable. The name had been used in the past by the Banovina of Croatia and the State Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia.

A long-time policy of the Croatian National Bank was to keep the fluctuations of the kuna's exchange rate against the euro within a relatively stable range. This range was maintained for many years, with the exchange rate between the two currencies rarely fluctuating to a substantial degree.

Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013, and later joined the Exchange Rate Mechanism on 10 July 2020. The kuna was eventually replaced by the euro on 1 January 2023, after satisfying prerequisites.

A two-week transition period during which kuna cash remained as legal tender in circulation alongside the euro ended on 14 January.

You can use euros in Croatia, as the country switched to the euro as its main currency in January 2023.

Prices in shops and restaurants will be shown in both euros and Croatian kuna until December 31, 2023, to help people adjust to the change.

Croatia has been part of the European Union since 2013, which made adopting the euro one of the conditions of its membership.

You can withdraw euros from ATMs in Croatia, but be aware that there may be transaction fees and exchange costs.

To get the best rates, consider exchanging money at a bank or using an ATM, as they often offer more favorable rates than currency exchange services at hotels or Bureau de Change.

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Croatia's monetary unit is made up of coins and banknotes. The coins were introduced in 1994 in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 lipa, and 1, 2, 5 and 25 kuna.

The 1 and 2 lipa coins were rarely used due to their low value and were no longer minted from 2009 onwards, but were still minted for numismatic collections.

The 1 kuna coin has a diameter of 22.5 mm, a mass of 5.00 g, and is made of nickel-brass. It features a nightingale on the reverse side.

The banknotes were designed by Miroslav Šutej and Vilko Žiljak, and feature prominent Croatians on the front and architectural motifs on the back. The 5, 10 and 20 kuna notes from the first series were withdrawn in 2007, and the 50, 100 and 200 kuna notes were withdrawn in 2010.

Here are the dimensions of the banknotes:

The 500 kuna note has an olive green color and features Diocletian's Palace in Split.

Coins are a fascinating part of a country's currency. In Croatia, coins were introduced in 1994 with denominations ranging from 1 to 25 kuna, with some of these coins featuring the name of a plant or animal in Croatian or Latin.

The 1 and 2 lipa coins were rarely used due to their low value, but they're still being minted for numismatic collections. These coins are made of aluminium-magnesium alloy and have a smooth edge.

Here's a breakdown of the coins intended for circulation:

The Croatian euro coins feature a unique design, with the Croatian checkerboard on the background and the HR abbreviation in the oldest Slavic script on the 1, 2, and 5 cent coins.

Banknotes are a vital part of Croatia's monetary system, and they're designed to be both secure and visually appealing.

The design of Croatian banknotes was handled by Miroslav Šutej and Vilko Žiljak, and all feature prominent Croatians on the front and architectural motifs on the back. The geometric figures at the lower left on the front are intaglio printed for recognition by the blind.

The first series of notes was released on October 31, 1993, but some of these notes were withdrawn in 2007 and 2010. The 5, 10, and 20 kuna notes were withdrawn on April 1, 2007, and the 50, 100, and 200 kuna notes were withdrawn on January 1, 2010.

New series of notes were released in 2001, 2004, 2012, and 2014, with tweaked designs and improved security features.

Here's a list of the different kuna banknotes, including their values, dimensions, main colors, and descriptions:

The designs of the banknotes are not only aesthetically pleasing but also feature important historical figures and architectural landmarks.