The Croatian euro coins are a set of euro coins currently being minted by the Croatian Mint since July 2022.[1] [2] [3] They are the official euro coins with the national motif of Croatia.
The euro was introduced as a replacement for the Croatian kuna on 1 January 2023.[4] The kuna and the euro were in dual circulation until 14 January 2023 in order to aid the gradual transition to the euro. Prices are displayed in both currencies since 5 September 2022, and will continue to be until 31 December 2023.[5] The euro coins were made available for purchase on 1 December 2022.[6] Each package cost 100 kunas (13.28 euros).[7]
Remaining kuna coins can be exchanged in all banks, Croatian Post offices and the Croatian Financial Agency (Fina) until 31 December 2023. After that period only the Croatian National Bank (HNB) will handle the exchanges. Kuna banknotes can be exchanged indefinitely, while kuna coins can be exchanged until 31 December 2025.[8]
On 21 July 2021, Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković stated that national identifying marks on the Croatian euro coins would be the Croatian checkerboard, the map of Croatia, a marten, Nikola Tesla and the Glagolitic script.[9] [10]
On 4 February 2022, the Government of Croatia presented the designs for the national side of the future Croatian euro coins, which were chosen in an open contest by the Council of the Croatian National Bank. For the €2 coin, a design with the geographical map of Croatia by designer Ivan Šivak was chosen. The edge inscription uses lyrics from Ivan Gundulić's 1628 pastoral play Dubravka. For the €1 coin, a design with a marten (in Croatian) standing on a branch, an animal after which the Croatian currency at the time was named, by designer Stjepan Pranjković was chosen. For the 10c, 20c and 50c coins, a design with Nikola Tesla, who was born in Smiljan (present-day Croatia, then-Austrian Empire), by designer Ivan Domagoj Račić was chosen. Finally, for 1c, 2c and 5c coins, a design with ligature bound letters Ⱈ (H) and Ⱃ (R) in Glagolitic script by designer Maja Škripelj was chosen.[11] Each author received 70,000 kn (approx€. 9,300) for their chosen design.
After suspicions arose online that the design of the €1 coin used an unlicensed image of a marten on a branch by the Scottish photographer Iain Leach, the designer of the €1 coin, Stjepan Pranjković, withdrew his design on 7 February.[12] On 8 February, the Croatian National Bank announced they will hold a new competition for the design of the Croatian €1 coin with a marten motif.[13]
On 4 May 2022, at the 15th session of the National Council for the Introduction of the Euro, the new €1 coin design was presented to the public.[14] The chosen design depicts a stylised marten on a checkerboard background by artists Jagor Šunde, David Čemeljić and Fran Zekan. This new design was approved by the Council of the European Union on 20 April.[15]
On 18 July 2022, the Croatian Mint officially began the production of the euro coins with the Croatian national motif. Workers were set to have three shifts until the end of 2022.[16] [17]
On 1 September 2022, euro banknotes began being distributed to all banks in Croatia.[18]
On 1 October 2022, the newly minted euro coins had begun distribution to all banks in Croatia.
On 20 October 2022, the executive board of the European Central Bank (ECB) adopted a Decision on the application of minimum reserves by the ECB following the introduction of the euro in Croatia on 1 January 2023.[19]
From 15 December 2022 to 15 January 2023, there were no charging fees for cash withdrawals from ATMs to clients of other banks.[20]
A transitional period for the imposing of minimum requirements on institutions located in Croatia took place from 1 January to 7 February 2023. Institutions located in other eurozone countries could have decided to deduct any liabilities owed to institutions located in Croatia from their reserve base for the maintenance periods from 21 December 2022 to 7 February 2023 and from 8 February to 21 March 2023.
Those who had both kunas and euros in credit institutions, unions, payment institutions, and electronic money institutions before the day of the introduction of euro had the right, until the end of February 2023, to close one or more of their accounts and transfer the funds recorded in those accounts to their accounts to accounts of their choice in the same institution, free of charge.
On 1 April 2023, the Croatian National Bank stopped determining denomination structure for paying out euro banknotes at ATMs.
As of October 2022, there are approximately 420 million euro coins minted with the Croatian national motif.[21]