Issued to mark Croatia's debut as an independent nation at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics — its first Games under its own flag after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Croatian athletes had competed for Yugoslavia through 1988; the 1992 Barcelona Games had allowed a limited "Independent Olympic Participants" entry, making Atlanta the true arrival on the world stage. The gymnastics and handball selections were not arbitrary: Croatia took gold in men's handball at Atlanta, one of the country's most celebrated results from those Games.
Issued to mark Croatia's debut as an independent nation at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics — its first Games under its own flag after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Croatian athletes had competed for Yugoslavia through 1988; the 1992 Barcelona Games had allowed a limited "Independent Olympic Participants" entry, making Atlanta the true arrival on the world stage. The gymnastics and handball selections were not arbitrary: Croatia took gold in men's handball at Atlanta, one of the country's most celebrated results from those Games.