Catalog
2 Kune
| Issuer | Nezavisna Drzava Hrvatska |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
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| Size | 78 × 43 mm |
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| Obverse description | Brown note printed on tan paper with a fine guilloche underprint throughout. The large denomination numeral '2' appears to the left, with the bold letterpress inscription 'DVIE KUNE' filling the central field. At upper left, the state title 'NEZAVISNA DRŽAVA HRVATSKA' is set in two lines. To the right, an oval vignette contains the coat of arms of the Independent State of Croatia — the traditional red-and-white chequered shield surmounted by the Ustaše emblem — set within an elaborate guilloche border. Below the denomination, the place and date of issue 'ZAGREB 25. RUJNA 1942.' and the issuing authority 'DRŽAVNI RIZNIČAR' appear, accompanied by a manuscript signature. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Brown letterpress design on tan paper dominated by a large central guilloche rosette from which a stylised numeral '2' emerges against a radiating lathe-work background. Two elongated diamond-shaped guilloche panels flank the central motif horizontally. Smaller numeral '2' vignettes appear in the lower corners within ornamental frames. The inscription 'NEZAVISNA DRŽAVA' runs along the top border and 'HRVATSKA' is set in bold capitals along the lower margin, with the printer's imprint 'HRVATSKA DRŽAVNA TISKARA, ZAGREB' in small type at the very foot of the note. A red serial number is printed below the central numeral. |
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| Comments |
The Nezavisna Država Hrvatska — the Ustasha puppet state established under German and Italian auspices in April 1941 — introduced the kuna as a deliberate historical reference to the medieval Croatian monetary unit, distancing itself symbolically from the Yugoslav dinar. This 2 kune note was designed and engraved by Ljubo Babić, a genuinely significant figure in Croatian modernist art, which made the printing office's in-house production unusual; most occupied European states relied on German or Italian facilities for their wartime currency.
The small format reflects severe wartime paper rationing at the Hrvatska državna tiskara. P#8 is among the more elusive low denominations of the NDH series.