Information about mint: Mincovňa Kremnica (Kremnica Mint, ex Kremnitz)

The Kremnica Mint (Slovak: Mincovňa Kremnica), is a state-owned mint situated in Kremnica, Slovakia. The predecessor of the current mint was established in 1328, and for nearly seven centuries it has continuously been producing mint articles.

Kremnica Mint was established in 1328 when Kremnica was promoted to a free royal town by the Hungarian King Charles Robert of Anjou; the mint issued several kinds of coins early on, of which the most successful was its ducat. Kremnica ducats were well-known because of their good quality and were considered the hardest currency in Central Europe.

The mint became very outdated by the beginning of the 20th century, and many called for new equipment and for the mint to be moved to Budapest. However, this did not happen until the end of World War I. As the Czech troops invaded Northern Hungary, the Károlyi government ordered to move the equipment and noble metal stock to Budapest. The Hungarian Government started to mint the first coins with the faulty machines and worn-out dies in Csepel. Even coins minted in 1922 bore the KB mint mark.

The Czechoslovak government had to set up a new mint as well, since not more than the buildings were left in Kremnica. Work on the new machinery started in 1921. Since then, the Kremnica Mint has manufactured all the coins used by the Czechoslovak and Slovak state and minted coins for 25 other countries. Since Kremnica was the site of the sole mint of the Czechoslovak state, the Czech protectorate (1939-1945) was supplied with coins by Germany, and the Czech Republic (since 1993) established its own mint.

Today, Kremnica Mint manufactures both circulation coins and commemorative coins for the National Bank of Slovakia (Slovak euro coins), but the Mint's available capacities and quality standards make it capable of supplying coins to other countries worldwide.

The first mint mark on coins minted in Kremnica was C (for Latin Cremnicium). This was changed to K (for Hungarian Körmöcz or German Kremnitz) under Sigismund and later K-B (Hungarian Körmöcz-Bánya or German Kremnitz-Bergstadt). With a decree from 16 June 1766, Maria Theresa uniformised the mint marks of the Austrian Empire, the new alphabetical system showed the importance of the mint: Körmöcbánya received letter B (Vienna mint received A, Prague mint C, etc.). This was changed back to K.B. (for Körmöczbánya) temporarily in 1848-49 and finally in 1868. The K.B. mint mark was used after evacuation of the mint to Budapest until 1922. It is rendered as К.Б. (in Cyrillic script) on some Bulgarian coins.

The Mincovňa Kremnica now uses its initials (MK) as a mint mark.

No mint mark

Cyrillic script version of the K.B. mint mark of the Kremnitz Mint (from Hungarian Körmöcz-Bánya or German Kremnitz-Bergstadt), used on Bulgarian coins.