Croatia - Travel/Philately/Numismatics/Memorabilia Profile

Croatia, a country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Slovenia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and the Adriatic Sea has a total land area of 21,851 square miles and a population of around 4.5 million. Croatia is classified as an emerging and developing economy by the International Monetary Fund and a high income economy by the World Bank. Its terrain is very diverse consisting of plains, lakes, rolling hills, wooded mountains and rocky coastlines. The major industries of Croatia are textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and tourism.

Travel Resources:

April through October are considered tourist friendly weather-wise. Its tag-line for promoting tourism is 'The Mediterranean As It Once Was'. It was featured as a top destination in recent years by Lonely Planet and National Geographic Adventure Magazine. The major National Parks of Croatia are Plitvice Lakes, Kornati , Paklenica, and Krka National Parks. Besides the parks it also has a choice collection of castles, ruins, churches, squares and beaches. Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous, and considered as the "the cuisine of regions". It is characterized by traces of early Proto-Slavic, Hungarian, Viennese, Turkish Greek, Roman, Illyrian Italian and French cuisine. Their seafood preparation is considered superb.


ResourceISBN or ASINBest PriceDescription
Croatia Bradt Travel Guide978-1841623191$18Great coverage ideal for the independent traveler! A 70-page introductory practical information for travelers followed by sections on Zagreb, Inland Croatia, Istria, Kvarner Bay and Islands, Northern Dalmatia, Central Dalmatia, and Southern Dalmatia.
A Taste of Croatia978-0980012002$14A cookbook and a travel memoir of the author, Karen Evenden sailing the Croatian coast for three years. The structure uses short essays and brief anecdotes from their trip and an easy to follow cookbook with complete recipes, contextual information, and cook’s notes.
Croatia Insight Travel Map978-9812588913$101:300,000 scale. Includes City plans on Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Split, Zabreb, and Ljubljana.
A Travelers History of Croatia978-1566568081$11A condensed history of Croatia in 274 pages from a traveler’s perspective from the Greek and Roman periods. It explores the country’s cultural fusion of Mediterranean, Central European, and Balkan influences.
Croatia Grounded Adapter Plug – GUBB001FD860M$8


Philatelic Profile:

The first stamps of Croatia were Yugoslav issues (Scott #143 to #148B) showing King Peter II overprinted in black released on April 12, 1941. The set (Scott #1 to #8) catalogs for around $25 MNH and $32 used. Inverted overprints exist and have a good premium but counterfeits of overprints are also in existence. A few other overprints on Yugoslav issues were also released within the next few months. Most of them are not that valuable although a few higher values fetch a few dollars.

 Croatia released a long set of nineteen stamps between 1941 and 1943 showing local scenes. The set (Scott #30 to #48) catalogs for around $13 MNH and $9 used. The designs show City of Jajce, Old Warasdin, Velebit Mountains, Zelanjak, Zagreb Cathedral, Osjek Cathedral, Drina River, Konjica, Zemun, Dubrovnik, Save River, Sarajevo, Plitvice, Klis Fortress in the town of Split, Hvar, Symia, Senj, and Banjaluka. Tete beche pairs of most of these issues exist and are fairly common. They fetch a slight premium over the individual issues. The independent Croatian stopped issuing stamps in 1945 when they became part of the Yugolsav Federation.

Croatia declared independence on 8th October 1991 which led to the breakup of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia issued a stamp on December 10, 1991 to mark independence. The issue (Scott #101) is remarkably inexpensive at less than $2 MNH and less than a dollar for used. As a predominantly Roman Catholic Christian state, Croatia immediately issued a couple of stamps in the Christian theme along with a Croatian arms issue. These sets are also fairly inexpensive.

Other issues of Croatia enjoying good philatelic interest include:
  1. A long set of fourteen stamps issued between 1992 and 1994 in the Croatian Cities and Landmarks theme. The set (Scott #107 to #121) catalogs for around $20 MNH. Used copies of the higher denominations are rare. The designs show Knin, Eltz Castle in Vukovar, Church at Llok, Starcevic Street in Gospic, Rector’s palace at Dubrovnik, St. Jakov’s Cathedral in Sibenik, Vinkovci, Pazin, Beli Monastery, Slavonski Brod, Varazdin, Karlovac, Zadar, and Vis.
  2. A set of seven stamps released on June 15, 1994 to mark the 150th anniversary of Tourism in Croatia. The set (Scott #196 to #207) catalogs for around $7 MNH. The designs show Plitvice Lakes National Park, Waterfalls at Krka River, Kornati Islands National Park, Kopacki Trscak Nature Reserve, sailboats at Opatijska Riviera resort, Brijuni Islands, and Trakoscan castle at Zagorje. The country is marketed as a tourism hotspot with the name “Mediterranean As It Once Was”. It boasts an extensive coastline, well-preserved renaissance towns, and well-protected national parks. Both Lonely Planet and National Geographic has picked the area as a top travel destination in recent times.
  3. A strip of three stamps released on April 20, 1995 and a souvenir sheet to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Town of Split. The set (Scott #236a-c and #237) has a catalog value of around $10. The designs show Drawing of reconstruction of Diocletian’s Palace, the painting “Split Harbour” by Emanuel Vidovic, and the painting “Modern view of town, bust of Marulic” by Ivan Mestrovic. Located on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, Split is one of the oldest cities in the area. Presently, Split is a major tourist city and a transportation hub acting as a link to the surrounding Adriatic islands and the Apennine peninsula.
Numismatic Profile:

The first coins of Croatia were Zinc coins denominated in Kunas released in 1941 by the nominal kingdom that was reconstituted following the dismemberment of Yugoslavia. The 1 Kuna denominations is considered unique while the 2 Kuna denominations can be had for around $40 UNC. The 500 Kuna denominations in gold (0.28 troy ounces) go into the $3000 range for UNC. Following independence, the first republican era coins were issued in 1993. They had huge mintage (over 50M) Aluminum coins that catalog for well under a dollar for UNC. The design shows denomination above crowned arms in Obverse and Ears of Corn and Date in Reverse.

Other numismatic items of Croatia include:


ItemPrice RangeDescription
Coins$1 and upCommon UNCs from the 1990s start around $1. Proof year sets start around $30. Silver proofs go into the 100s.
Paper Money$1 and upCommon UNCs starts around $1. Commemoratives and Bundles start around $10. Rare specimens and errors such as inverted watermarks start around $100.


Collectible Memorabilia:

Lavender oil, Penkala pen, lace, cheese, jewelry, or a bottle of Maraschino are authentic Croatian takeaways for visitors.


ResourcePrice RangeDescription
Militaria$20 and upOriginal World War photographs start around $20. World War period badges start around $75 and go into the 1000s depending on rarity.
Souvenirs$5 and upPin badges start around $5. Folk costume books and curios fetch a good premium.
Art$10 and upHistorically relevant and folk costume prints start around $10. Original paintings from well-known artists like R. Vanovic, Mimi Davis, R, Raffius etc starta around $50 and go well into the 100s.
Antiques$10 and up17th century map prints start around $10. Original 17th century maps and documents go into the 100s.



Last Updated: 12/2015.

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