700 Years of the Kremnica Mint

700th Anniversary of the Kremnica Mint

The Kremnica Mint is one of the oldest continuously operating mints in Europe, giving it a special place in the history of currency. Founded in 1328 by King Charles I of Hungary, it was from the outset closely tied to the mining wealth of central Slovakia: the gold deposits around Kremnica were among the richest in medieval Europe and made the town an economic centre of the Kingdom of Hungary. Kremnica ducats circulated across large parts of the continent and shaped cross-regional trade for centuries. Even through changing political affiliations — Habsburg rule, Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia — the mint continued operating without interruption, establishing a monetary continuity almost unmatched in Europe.

Today, the Mincovňa Kremnica is Slovakia's only mint, striking not only Slovak euro circulation coins but also medals, orders and collector coins. The town itself has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, together with the other historic mining towns of central Slovakia. The townscape — with its medieval town castle, the Gothic Church of St Catherine and its enclosed ring wall — reflects its former standing as a royal free town. The mint's 700th anniversary, which Slovakia marks in 2028 with a 2-euro commemorative coin, represents not only a national but a pan-European cultural heritage of coinage history.