The euro is valid in Croatia from today. On coins… marten and tesla among others

From January 1, 2023, Croatia converted the kuna to the euro. The country officially joined the Eurozone, and thus the first new banknotes and coins fell into the hands of Croats. The exchange rate is 7.53450 Croatian kunas for 1 euro.

Euro in Croatia. Coins with local motifs

As in any member state, the reverses of euro coins are minted according to a universal design valid for the entire euro area. However, the side of the obverse is much more interesting, where the coins refer to the culture and traditions of this country.

“Croatia has chosen four designs for the national side of the euro coins. All of them have a characteristic Croatian chessboard motif in the background. All coins also feature the 12 stars of the European Union flag,” the European Central Bank, which has been in charge of Croatia’s monetary policy since January 1, said in a statement.

Croatian euro, i.e. Tesla, kuna and chessboard

The 2 euro coin depicts the geographical outlines of the country and the inscription “HRVATSKA” - the name of the country in the native language - against the background of a characteristic chessboard. The reverse of the coin is decorated with the inscription “O LIJEPA O DRAGA O SLATKA SLOBODO” (“Oh beautiful, oh dear, oh sweet freedom”), words from the famous dramatic idyll “Dubravka” by Ivan Gundulich.

• The €1 coin is a direct reference to the currency that was in force in Croatia until December 31, 2022. On the coin we see a marten and the inscription “HRVATSKA”. The animal is also in the background of the Croatian chessboard.

• The 50, 20 and 10 cent coins feature the face of a very popular character. Serbian inventor of Croatian origin Nikola Tesla. It was he who created the technology of using alternating current.

• Coins in denominations of 5, 2 and 1 cents are decorated with a ligature of the letters “HR” in an angular Glagolitic alphabet. “The Glagolitic alphabet, the oldest known Slavic alphabet, was used in Croatia until the 19th century.” – read in the statement of the ECB.