Czechoslovak koruna Totally Explained

Everything about The Czechoslovak Koruna totally explained

The Czechoslovak koruna (in Czech and Slovak: Koruna československá, at times Koruna česko-slovenská; koruna means crown) was the currency of Czechoslovakia from April 10, 1919 to March 14, 1939 and from November 1, 1945 to February 7, 1993. For a very short time in 1939 and 1993 it was also the currency in both of separate Czech and Slovak republics.
On February 8, 1993 it was replaced by the Czech koruna and the Slovak koruna, both at par.
The (last) ISO 4217 code and the local acronyms for the koruna were CSK and Kčs. One koruna equalled 100 haléřů (Czech, singular: haléř) or halierov (Slovak, singular: halier). In both languages, the abbreviation h was used. The acronym was placed behind the numeric value.

First koruna

A currency called the krone in German was introduced in Austria-Hungary on 11 September, 1892, as the first modern gold-based currency in the area. After the creation of an independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, an urgent need emerged for the establishment of a new currency system that would distinguish itself from the currencies of the other newly born countries suffering from inflation. The next year, on 10 April, 1919, a currency reform took place, defining the new koruna as equal in value to the Austro-Hungarian krone. The first banknotes came into circulation the same year, the coins three years later, in 1922.
This first koruna circulated until 1939, when separate currencies for Bohemia and Moravia and Slovakia were introduced, at par with the Czechoslovak koruna. These were the Bohemia and Moravia koruna and the Slovak koruna.

Coins

In 1921, coins were introduced in denominations of 20 and 50h, followed by 10h and 1 koruna in 1922, 2 and 5h in 1923, 5 korun in 1925, 10 korun in 1930, and 25h and 20 korun in 1933. The 2h was struck in zinc, the 5 and 10h in bronze, and the 20, 25 and 50h and 1 koruna in cupro-nickel. The 5 koruna was struck in cupro-nickel until 1928, when a silver version was introduced. This denomination reverted to cupro-nickel in 1938. The 10 and 20 korun were issued in silver.

Banknotes

The first banknotes were issues of the Austro-Hungarian Bank to which adhesive stamps were affixed. Denominations were of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 1000 korun. Regular banknotes were issued by the Republic of Czechoslovakia between 1919 and 1926, in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 korun. The Czechoslovak National Bank took over production in 1926, issuing notes for 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 korun. The new designs were made by Alfons Mucha, one of the founders of Art Nouveau and a Slavic nationalist. The urgency of the task led him to reuse a previous portrait of Josephine Crane Bradley as Slavia for the 100 koruna bill

Second koruna

The Czechoslovak koruna was re-established in 1945, replacing the two previous currencies at par. As a consequence of the war, the currency had lost much of its value.

Coins

Between 1946 and 1948, 20 and 50h and 1 and 2 koruny coins were introduced. The lower two denominations were struck in bronze, the higher two in cupro-nickel. The designs of all but the 2 koruny were based on those of the interwar coins but the coins were smaller. In 1950, aluminium 1 korun coins were introduced, followed by aluminium 20 and 50h in 1951. 5 korun coins were minted but not introduced.

1953-1990 Issues
Value	Technical parameters	Description	Date of
Value	Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	issue	withdrawal
1 h	16 mm	0.5 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Smooth	Coat of arms, "REPUBLIKA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1953	1 June 1953	?
1 h	16 mm	0.5 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Smooth	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1962	2 May 1962	?
3 h	18 mm	0.66 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Smooth	Coat of arms, "REPUBLIKA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1953	1 June 1953	31 January 1976
3 h	18 mm	0.66 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Smooth	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1962	1 December 1962	31 January 1976
5 h	20 mm	0.8 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Smooth	Coat of arms, "REPUBLIKA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1953	1 June 1953	31 December 1978
5 h	20 mm	0.8 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Smooth	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1962	1 December 1962	31 December 1978
5 h	16.2 mm	0.75 g	98% aluminium 2% magnesium	Smooth	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, five-pointed star	1977	1 July 1977	?
10 h	22 mm	1.18 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Milled	Coat of arms, "REPUBLIKA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1953	1 June 1953	31 December 1977
10 h	22 mm	1.18 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Milled	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1961	1 December 1961	31 December 1977
10 h	18.2 mm	0.9 g	98% aluminium 2% magnesium	Smooth	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, five-pointed star	1974	1 December 1974	?
20 h	19.5 mm	2.6 g	Brass 79% copper 20% zinc 1% nickel	Milled	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, five-pointed star	1972	1 October 1972	?
25 h	24 mm	1.43 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Milled	Coat of arms, "REPUBLIKA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1953	1 June 1953	31 December 1972
25 h	24 mm	1.43 g	96.65% aluminium 3% magnesium 0.35% manganese	Milled	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1962	1 December 1962	31 December 1972
50 h	21.5 mm	3.0 g	Brass 90% copper 10% zinc	Milled	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, wreath of leafage, five-pointed star	1963	1 April 1963	31 December 1979
50 h	20.8 mm	3.2 g	Cupronickel 80% copper 20% nickel	Milled	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, five-pointed star	1978	2 October 1978	?
1 Kčs	23 mm	4 g	Aluminium bronze 91% copper 8% aluminium 1% manganese	Milled	Coat of arms, "REPUBLIKA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ", year of minting	Indication of value, planting women	1957	2 September 1957	?
1 Kčs	23 mm	4.0 g	Aluminium bronze 91% copper 8% aluminium 1% manganese	Milled	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, planting women	1961	1 December 1961	?
2 Kčs	24 mm	6.0 g	Cupronickel 80% copper 20% nickel	Ornaments	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, abstract pattern with five-pointed star and hammer and sickle	1972	1 October 1972	?
3 Kčs	23.5 mm	5.5 g	Cupronickel 80% copper 20% nickel	Ornaments	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, pattern with flower and ribbon of national colours	1965	1 November 1965	31 December 1972
5 Kčs	26 mm	7 g	Cupronickel 80% copper 20% nickel	Ornaments	Socialist coat of arms, "ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ SOCIALISTICKÁ REPUBLIKA", year of minting	Indication of value, abstract pattern with flower and cranes, five-pointed star	1966	1 August 1966	?

Source:

Banknotes

The first banknotes of the third korun were issued by the People's Republic in denominations of 1, 3 and 5 korun (state notes) and by the State Bank in denominations of 10, 25, 50 and 100 korun (banknotes). From 1958, new 25, 10, 100 and finally 50 Kčs banknotes were designed, and the state notes were gradually replaced by coins during the 1960s. The 20 Kčs banknote was printed from 1970 to replace the 25 Kčs note. The 500 Kčs banknote appeared in 1973. Starting with the 1000 Kčs banknote in 1985, a new, more uniform series (designer: Albín Brunovský) was issued adding a new denomination each year. This process was interrupted by the fall of the communism (and finally by the dissolution of the country): the new 100 Kčs note issued in 1989 depicted Klement Gottwald, a prominent communist and was speedily withdrawn after the Velvet Revolution. A new 500 Kčs banknote was never issued.

1958 Series
Value	Dimensions	Main Colour	Language	Description	Date of
Value	Obverse	Reverse	printing	issue	withdrawal
25 Kčs	140 x 69 mm	Blue	Czech and Slovak	Jan Žižka	The Jan Žižka Square in Tábor	1958	1 December 1958	31 December 1972
1960-1964 Series
3 Kčs	113 x 55 mm	Blue	Slovak and Czech	Indication of value	Coat of arms	1961	1 December 1961	31 December 1967
5 Kčs	123 x 59 mm	Green	Czech and Slovak	Indication of value	Coat of arms	1961	1 December 1961	31 December 1967
10 Kčs	134 x 65 mm	Brown	Slovak	Girls with flowers	View of the Orava reservoir	1960	1 December 1961	30 June 1988
25 Kčs	140 x 69 mm	Blue	Czech and Slovak	Jan Žižka	The Jan Žižka Square in Tábor	1961	2 May 1962	31 December 1972
50 Kčs	150 x 75 mm	Red	Slovak	A Russian soldier and a partisan	The Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava	1964	1 April 1965	30 June 1991
100 Kčs	165 x 81 mm	Green	Czech	Peasant couple	View of Prague with the castle and the Charles Bridge	1961	1 December 1962	7 February 1993
1970-1973 Series
20 Kčs	134 x 59 mm	Blue	Czech	Jan Žižka	Imitation of a codex illustration	1970	1 April 1971	30 June 1991
500 Kčs	153 x 67 mm	Brown	Slovak	Partisans of the SNP 1944	Devín Castle	1973	1 November 1973	7 February 1993
1985-1989 Series
10 Kčs	133 x 67 mm	Brown	Slovak	Pavol Országh-Hviezdoslav	Orava scene	1986	1 July 1986	7 February 1993
20 Kčs	138 x 67 mm	Blue	Czech	Comenius	Illustration related to culture and education	1988	1 October 1988	7 February 1993
50 Kčs	143 x 67 mm	Red	Slovak	Ľudovít Štúr	View of Bratislava with the castle (from the restaurant on the top of the pylon of the Nový Most)	1987	1 October 1987	7 February 1993
100 Kčs	148 x 67 mm	Green	Czech	Klement Gottwald	View of Prague with the castle and the Charles Bridge	1989	1 October 1989	31 December 1990
1000 Kčs	158 x 67 mm	Blue	Czech	Bedřich Smetana	View of the Vltava at Vyšehrad	1985	1 October 1985	7 February 1993

Consumer price index

Year	PI

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