As you know, most beginning coinage bear denominations in relationship to the authorizing country's weight units, i.e., Cash, Dinar, Franc, Pound, Rupee, Shekel, etc, but there are exceptions. Croatia (Hrvatska) is such a country. The region of the world now known as Croatia, Hungary and Slovinia (previously known as Pannonia) was home for a valuable fur animal, the marten (a relative of mink and sable). When the Roman Empire ruled upper and lower Pannonia they imposed taxes specifying Marten pelts as legal payment. The Croation word for Marten is Kuna. After the decline of Rome, the Slavic regions became part of the Hungarian Empire. At that time (Middle Ages) the Hungarian government appointed Croation Viceroys as caretakers of the political and commercial dealings of the area. Viceroy Slavona Bela III (1235 - 1270) convinced the Hungarian crown that, in order to improve commercial trade in the Slavic regions, each entity needed to produce its own coinage. The Kuna was born. The first form of the Kuna (silver composition) struck in Croatia was referred to as Banoveck, Banski Denar, or more expediently, Banica (compound words for Viceroy and the Roman Denarius). Here's a website featuring the first Croatian Kuna (notice the Marten in the center of the reverse). Scoll down to coin (photo courtesy of dibrovnik-guide): http://www.dubrovnik-guide.net/croatiancurrency.htm I won't inundate you with myriads of Croation Kuna coins, but will let you see the important issues. 1941 (just prior to Hitler's takeover in April) started off with the successful overthrow of the pro-nazi regent, Prince Paul. Croatia, now part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, again issued its own Kuna coinage: a zinc Kuna (supposedly for circulation, but unknown in existence) a zinc 2 Kune (business and proof strikes) and two different gold 500 Kuna (business strikes) coins. Photoes courtesy of Don's World Coin Gallery: 2 Kune: http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img10/47-2&desc=Croatia%20km2%202%20Kune%20(1941)%20zinc&query=Croatia%20km%202 500 Gold Kuna: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...atia kmA3 500 Kuna (1941)&query=Croatia km A3 Croatia proclaimed its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 as the Republic of Croatia, They began minting coins dated 1993 (struck in 1994). Denominations produced: a 16mm aluminum Lipa (Linden/Lime tree in English); an 18.97mm aluminum 2 Lippe; a 17.88 mm 5 Lipa; a 20mm brass plated steel 10 Lipa; an 18.5mm nickle plated steel 20 Lipa; a 20.5mm nickle plated steel 50 Lipa; a 22.5mm copper-nickle Kuna; a 24.5mm copper-nickle 2 Kune and a 26.7mm copper-nickle 5 Kuna. (100 Lipa = Kuna). Before minor coins (Lipa) were struck a provisional agreement required that the ledgend would be in Croatian during odd dated years and in Latin during even dated years. Here's two photos of a 50 Lipa: Odd Year 1993: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...Croatia km3 1 Lipa (1993+)&query=Croatia km 3 Even Year 1994: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri... Lipa (1994,1996) Zea Mays&query=Croatia mays The following photos are courtesy of Don's World Coin Gallery. Notice the Marten on the obverse behind the denomination: Kuna: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...(1993+) Nightingale&query=Croatia nightingale Author's note: Five 22.5mm silver and five 33.5 gold proofs were minted with same obverse and reverse as the copper-nickle coin above. 2 Kune: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri... km10 2 Kune (1993+) Tuna&query=Croatia km 10 Author's note: Five 24.5mm each of silver and gold proofs were struck with identical obverse and reverse. 5 Kuna: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri... km11 5 Kuna (1993+) Bear&query=Croatia km 11 Author's note: Five 26.7mm each of silver and gold proofs were struck with same obverse and reverse. Double-Date 5 Years of Kuna Circulation: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...of Kuna circulation&query=Croatia circulation Double-Date 10th Anniversary Kuna: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...2004) 10 year Anniversary&query=Croatia km 79 FAO Double-Date 2 Kune: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...ia km22 2 Kune (1995) FAO&query=Croatia km 22 500th Anniversary Senj Glagolitic Missal 5 Kuna: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...f Senj Glagolitic Missal&query=Croatia missal Gold 5 Kuna Senj Glagolitic Missal: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...Glagolitic Missal (gold)&query=Croatia missal 5 Year UN Membership Celebration 25 Kuna http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...yrs. U.N. Membership&query=Croatia membership Entry in EEU 25 Kuna: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...una (2004) Entry into EEU&query=Croatia entry New Millennium 25 Kuna http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...na (2000) Human Fetus&query=Croatia millenium Author's note: Like many countries "proof only" coins were authorized: seven silver (0.5948 oz. ASW) 100 Kuna; nine silver (0.7137 oz. ASW) 150 Kuna; 13 silver (1 oz. ASW) 200 Kuna, Nine gold (.01109 oz AGW) 500 kUNA and 5 gold (0.2219 oz. AGW) 1000 Kunas. Croatia authorized Trade Coinage (gold Ducats) during 1994 and 1995. In 1994 5,000 20mm gold (0.1109 oz. AGW) Ducats featuring Ruder Boscovic were struck. No photo. In 1995 3,000 20mm gold (0.1109 oz. AGW) Ducats were produced to commemorate the Liberation of Knin from the Serbs Photo follows: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri... (1995) Liberation of Knin&query=Croatia knin Hope you enjoyed this trivia on Croation Kuna coinage... Clinker
