23.9.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 364/3
New national sides of euro circulation coins (2022/C 364/03)
Euro circulation coins have legal tender status throughout the euro area.
The Commission publishes all new euro coin designs (1) with a view to informing all parties required to handle coins in the course of their work as well as the public at large.
On 12 July 2022 the Council of the European Union decided that the Republic of Croatia fulfils the necessary conditions for the adoption of the euro on 1 January 2023 (2).
From 1 January 2023 the Republic of Croatia will therefore issue euro coins, subject to the approval by the ECB of the volume of the issue (cf.
Article 128(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).
1 Euro Cent
2 Euro Cent
5 Euro Cent
10 Euro Cent
20 Euro Cent
50 Euro Cent
1 Euro
2 Euro
Issuing country: Republic of Croatia Date of issue: 1 January 2023 Description of the designs 1, 2 and 5 cent: Glagolitic script with the Croatian checkerboard in the background The central part of the coin depicts letters ‘HR’ written in the angular Glagolitic script in the form of ligature, with HR being the official ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Croatia.
The Glagolitic script is the oldest Slavic script, and is, alongside the Cyrillic script, one of the two Slavic scripts.
Although modelled after the Greek alphabet, the Glagolitic alphabet is an original script, probably created by Constantine the Philosopher (Saint Cyril) for the purpose of promoting Christianity among Slavic peoples.
The Croats started to use the Glagolitic script in the second half of the 9th century and by the end of the 12th century they were the only people using and further developing the script.
Only 28 years after the Gutenberg Bible, ‘Misal po zakonu rimskoga dvora’ (Missale Romanum Glagolitice) – the first book printed in the Croatian Old Church Slavic language, written in the Croatian (angular) Glagolitic script, was printed in Croatia in 1483.
It was the first incunabulum in Europe not printed in the Latin script and language.
The Glagolitic script was used in Croatia up to the first half of the 19th century, becoming an important element of Croatian identity.
To the right and below the ligature ‘HR’ is the Croatian checkerboard, the part of the coat of arms of the Republic of Croatia.
The top central part features the year of issuance and the bottom central part features the inscription of the issuing country.
The coin's outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.
(1) See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p. 1, OJ C 254, 20.10.2006, p. 6 and OJ C 248, 23.10.2007, p.
8 for a reference to the other euro coins.
(2) Council Decision of 12 July 2022 on the adoption by Croatia of the euro on 1 January 2023 (OJ L 187, 14.7.2022, p. 31).