NEW BOOK: CROATIAN BANKNOTES

A new book on Croatian banknotes provides a fascinating look at Croatia's rich numismatic history, but also gives an interesting insight into Croatia's rich ancient history and remarkable achievements.

Croatian Banknotes: A Standard Reference is written by Australian-based numismatist Dusty Dragicevic. The book is fully illustrated and covers all Croatian banknote issues from WW2 to the present day, including all fantasy issues, proposals and a section on the currency that Croatia almost had until the last minute, when they changed their minds.

A numismatist with a keen interest in Croatian history, Dragicevic was born in Derby, a small town in the Kimberley Region of northern Western Australia, who grew up on Koolan Island in Australia's north west where his father was employed as a machinist on an iron ore mine.

My mother was born and raised in Split and my father is from a village called Donji Humac on the island of Brac. I was made in Croatia but born in Australia. I obtained Croatian citizenship in 2008, Dragicevic tells us.

The idea to write this book first came to Dragicevic when he visited Croatia in 2001.

 

Looking at the kuna banknotes, I saw the images of famous people and wanted to know more about them and what contribution they have made to Croatia throughout history. Given that their faces are on banknotes, these people must have been great Croatians, he says, before adding, If you want to learn about the history of any nation just take a look at their national currency and look up the figures and landmarks that appear on them. I think that it is a fascinating history lesson in researching a nation's currency.

The inspiration gathered momentum when he started to collect Croatian banknotes.

My collection began when I met a collector who was selling old Croatian banknotes. I picked up a few old notes from the Independent State of Croatia. The banknotes featured interesting patterns and designs and I thought that this would now be my hobby. I was hooked. Over the years, I amassed a decent collection, eventually obtaining every single issue that existed, he says.

It took seven years to write the book and I would describe it as a labour of love. I was writing about my hobby and learning so much about Croatia while doing it.. I thought that every Croatian should know their historical figures and cultural landmarks and they can also learn about their national currency too.

The information that helped with his research was sourced from numerous books and publications. Information on historic patterns and monuments came from a visit to the Museum of Croatian Archeological Monuments in Split, whilst he also got information from various publications from the Croatian National Bank, from fellow numismatists, friends in Zagreb and Rijeka and from biographies and books.

 

Dragicevic says he will be sad to see the kuna go when it is replaced by the euro in 2023.

A national currency is a powerful and symbolic projection of national identity and this will now be consigned to history. I hope that the people in power in Croatia have thought about this move to adopt the euro thoroughly, to make sure that this is the right decision for Croatia. I quite like the look of the kuna banknotes and I personally find the design of the Euros to be quite bland. Very boring in fact, he concludes.

The book is available as a hardcopy or as a pdf file. The book weighs just under 2 pounds.

For more information, or to order, see:
Velered Publishing presents....... Croatian Banknotes A Standard Reference (https://ddragicevic211.wixsite.com/velered)

To read the complete article, see:
The currency Croatia almost had and more in new book on Croatian banknotes (https://www.croatiaweek.com/the-currency-croatia-almost-had-and-more-in-new-book-on-croatian-banknotes/)

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