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A Brief History of Croatia

Dark Ages
The Croats, a slavic people, arrived and settled in what is now Croatia in about the 7th Century A.D. However, it wasn't until around 9th Century A.D. that the Croats emerged as a self-governing people and nation. In 925, Tomislav, Duke of Croatia, was elevated to the rank of King by Pope John X.

Hungary and Croatia
In 1091, the last native Croatian king, Zvonimir died. The Croatian crown passed on to Ladislaus I of Hungary. Croatia then entered into a personal union with the Hungarian Crown. At the time that the Ottoman Empire was in the ascendent, Croatia became a military battleground between the Hungarians/ Hapsburgs and the Ottomans. Following the Battle of Sisak in 1593, most of Croatia was free of Ottoman control, with the exception of Bosnia and Herzogovina (which had been part of the historic Croatian Kingdom). The Hapsburgs, who since 1526 had been Kings of Hungary as well as Holy Roman Emperors, ruled over Croatia on the basis of the personal union between the Hungarian and Croatian Crowns. This relationship would continue until 1918, when the Hapsburgs were dethroned and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved at the end of World War I.

Yugoslavia
Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Croatia decided to join with Serbia and Slovenia to form the Kingdom of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, known soon after as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
During World War II, Yugoslavia was invaded and occupied by the Germans. The Germans created a Croatian puppet state known as the Independent State of Croatia, or NDH (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska).
Josip Broz Tito, a Croat, led a group of communist partisans resisting Nazi occupation in Yugoslavia, and blocked the legitimate, Royal government of Yugoslavia from returning to power. Tito then went on to rule Yugoslavia until his death in 1980.

Death of Yugoslavia
Tito's death proved to be the beginning of the end for the Yugoslavian union, and ethnic nationalism began to rise. By 1991, relations between the Croats, and the Serb-dominated Yugoslavian government had broken down irrevocably. In October, the Croats declared independence. After a four year struggle, during which atrocities were committed on all sides, Croatia gained its defacto as well as 'de jure' independence.

Croatia Today
Today, Croatia is a modern European country with a standard of living comparable to the rest of Europe. She is expected to become a member of the European Union in 2013.

Croatian Coins
The first coins used in what is now Croatia where Ancient Greek issues, used by the Illyrians and Dalmatians who once lived in the area. In Roman times, an important Roman mint was located at Sisak (known to the Romans as Sicia), where coins were produced for circulation in the local area and beyond.
When Croatia was part of a multinational Empire bordered by other Empires and nation-states, various different currencies circulated in the region. The banovac, issued by the local ban (viceroy) was issued as a local currency between 1260 and 1380, when Croatian autonomy within the Hungarian kingdom was diminished.
Hungarian currency (as well as similar Austrian currency) was used in Croatia until 1920, when the Yugoslav Dinar was introduced. The Yugoslav Dinar (divided into 1/100 para) was used in various forms until 1994, when the Kuna was introduced (subdivided into 1/100 lipa).
Coins of 5, 10, 20 and 50 lipa are issued for circulation, in addition to 1, 2 and 5 kuna. Other denominations are sometimes issued for commemorative purposes, but are seldom seen in circulation.
Croatia currently has ambitions to enter the Euro once economic conditions prove favourable.

For Sale and Wanted
If you are interested in coins from Croatian please see our product index:-
Croatian Coins

Gold Coins
We also have gold coins from Croatia on our taxfreegold website:-
Croatian Gold Coins



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