Currency of Croatia 500 Kuna banknote 1993
Croatian National Bank - Narodna Banka Hrvatske
Obverse: a portrait of Marko Marulić (1450-1524), a writer and humanist, the father of the Croatian literature.
Reverse: the Diocletian's Palace in Split, a late Roman building, and the figure of a Croatian ruler from the 11th century.
Date on the banknote: October 31, 1993.
Watermark: a portrait of Marko Marulić, displayed on the left side of the banknote, in the central part of the blank area, visible when the banknote is viewed against the light.
Date of putting into circulation: 30 May 1994.
Dimensions: 146 mm x 73 mm.
Paper: toned, with embedded fluorescent fibres, a multitonal positioned watermark and security thread.
Main colour: olive-green.
Print: the base is printed in multicoloured offset with an iridescent effect; the main motif, latent image, marking for the visually impaired and microtext are printed in intaglio and the inscriptions are embossed; the intaglio and embossed prints are perceptible by touch.
Security thread: embedded on the left from the portrait, appears on the banknote surface in several small reflective silver rectangles featuring the inscription "500 HRK" and becomes fully visible when the banknote is viewed against the light.
Latent image: the hidden inscription "KUNA", visible in the vertical rectangle positioned along the right edge of the banknote when the banknote is tilted while held flat.
See-through register: a square placed next to the coat of arms of the Republic of Croatia, bordered by the inscriptions "500 KUNA"; triangular elements of the see-through register on the obverse and reverse of the banknote match when the banknote is viewed against the light, forming letter "H".
UV: some colours on the base fluoresce under ultraviolet light; the series and serial number designation fluoresces green.
Croatia Banknotes
1993 - 2012 Issue
Marko Marulić
Marko Marulić (18 August 1450 – 5 January 1524) was a Croatian national poet and Christian humanist, known as the Crown of the Croatian Medieval Age and the father of the Croatian Renaissance. He signed his works as Marko Marulić Splićanin ("Marko Marulić of Split"), Marko Pečenić, Marcus Marulus (or de Marulis) Spalatensis, or Dalmata. He was also the first who defined and used the notion of psychology, which is today in current use.
Marulić was a nobleman born in Split, Dalmatia, coming from the distinguished aristocratic family of Pečenić (Pecinić, Picinić), the 15th century family branch whose founder was Petar, and only began calling themselves again Marulić, Marulus or De Marulis, in the 16th century.
Very little is actually known about his life, and the few facts that have survived to this day are fairly unreliable. It is certain that he attended a school run by a humanist scholar Tideo Acciarini in his hometown. Having completed it, he is then speculated to have graduated law at the Padua University, after which he spent much of his life in his home town. Occasionally he visited Venice (to trade) and to Rome (to celebrate the year 1500).
He lived for about two years in Nečujam on the island of Šolta. In Split, Marulić practised law, serving as a judge, examinator of notarial entries and executor of wills. Owing to his work, he became the most distinguished person of the humanist circle in Split.
Diocletian's Palace
Diocletian's Palace (Croatian: Dioklecijanova palača) is an ancient palace built by the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD, that today forms the center of the city of Split. While it is referred to as a "palace" because of its intended use as the retirement residence of Diocletian, the term can be misleading as the structure is massive and more resembles a large fortress: about half of it was for Diocletian's personal use, and the rest housed the military garrison.
Diocletian built the massive palace in preparation for his retirement on 1 May 305 AD. It lies in a bay on the south side of a short peninsula running out from the Dalmatian coast, four miles from Salona, the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. The terrain slopes gently seaward and is typical karst, consisting of low limestone ridges running east to west with marl in the clefts between them.