Croatia 2 Euro Cent 2023

History

Description

On January 1, 2023, Croatia embraced the Euro as its currency, replacing the Croatian kuna that had been in use since 1994. Croatia became an official member of the European Union in July 2013 and committed to adopting the euro once it fulfilled the necessary criteria for EU membership. Anticipated to fulfill all prerequisites, Croatia is set to become the 20th member of the eurozone in early 2023.

Incorporated into the structured design, the Croatian checkerboard, referred to as "šahovnica," serves as a backdrop across all coin denominations. This iconic checkerboard pattern, one of Europe's oldest national symbols, is presently featured on Croatia's national emblem and flag. Its association with Croatia dates back to its adoption as an element of the Croatian Kingdom's coat of arms in 1495.

Obverse	Coat of arms Croatia Depicts two letters from the Glagolitic alphabet, when put together, result in “HR”, the country name “HRVATSKA REPUBLIKA”. The date above, country name below. Surrounded by the twelve stars of the European Union. The Glagolitic script is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It is generally agreed to have been created in the 9th century by Saint Cyril, a monk from Thessaloniki. He and his brother, Saint Methodius, were sent by the Byzantine Emperor Michael III in 863 to Great Moravia to spread Christianity among the West Slavs in the area. The brothers decided to translate liturgical books into the contemporary Slavic language understandable to the general population (now known as Old Church Slavonic). As the words of that language could not be easily written by using either the Greek or Latin alphabets, Cyril decided to invent a new script, Glagolitic, which he based on the local dialect of the Slavic tribes from the Byzantine theme of Thessalonica. Design: Maja Škripelj 2023. HRVATSKA
Reverse	Geography & astronomy Globe A globe, next to the facial value, shows Europe in relation to Africa and Asia. Engraver: Luc Luycx 2 EURO CENT LL
Edge	Grooved