Independent State of Croatia kuna


The kuna was the currency of the Independent State of Croatia in the period between 1941 and 1945 during World War II. The word means "marten" in Croatian and the same word is used for the current Croatian kuna currency. This kuna was subdivided into 100 banica. It was preceded and replaced by the Yugoslav dinar.

History

The Croatian kuna was introduced in the Independent State of Croatia on 26 July 1941.
The kuna replaced the Yugoslav dinar at par and was fixed to the German Reichsmark with dual exchange rates, one fixed at 20 kuna = 1 ℛℳ, the other a state-stimulated rate of
The kuna was withdrawn from circulation from 30 June to 9 July 1945 and replaced by the 1944 issue of the Yugoslav dinar at a rate of 40 kuna = 1 dinar.

Coins

Zinc coins were issued in denominations of 1 and 2 kune in 1941, but only the 2 kune pieces are available today in appreciable numbers.

Banknotes

Kuna banknotes were introduced by the government in 1941, in denominations of 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 kuna. These were followed in 1942 by notes for 50 banicas and 1 and 2 kunas. In 1943, the Hrvatska Državna Banka introduced 100, 1000 and 5000 kuna notes. The notes were printed in Germany by Giesecke & Devrient.

Competing issues

Notes were also issued by partisan groups. These included the Zagreb Government Region Anti-Fascist Authority and the State Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia - ZAVNOH.
The Zagreb Government Region issued notes for 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000 and 50,000 kunas. The ZAVNOH issued notes in 1943, denominated in both dinars and kunas, for 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000 and 100,000 kunas/dinars. Notes for 100, 500 and 1000 liras were also issued without indication as to the value in kunas.