The koruna, or crown (sign: Kč; code: CZK, Czech: koruna česká), has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to adopt the euro in the future.

Quick Facts koruna česká, ISO 4217 ...

Czech koruna

koruna česká (Czech)
Czech banknotes 50 Kč coin
ISO 4217
Code	CZK (numeric: 203)
Subunit	0.01
Unit
Plural	The language(s) of this currency belong(s) to the Slavic languages. There is more than one way to construct plural forms.
Symbol	Kč‎
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄100	haléřa
Symbol
haléřa	h
Banknotes
Freq. used	100 Kč, 200 Kč, 500 Kč, 1,000 Kč, 2,000 Kč
Rarely used	5,000 Kč
Coins
Freq. used	1 Kč, 2 Kč, 5 Kč, 10 Kč, 20 Kč, 50 Kč
Demographics
User(s)	Czech Republic
Issuance
Central bank	Czech National Bank
Website	www.cnb.cz
Mint	Česká mincovna
Website	ceskamincovna.cz
Valuation
Inflation	2.0%
Source	Czech Statistical Office, March 2024
Method	CPI
a) The haléř is still used for accounting purposes (e.g., financial reports).

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The official name in Czech is koruna česká (plural koruny české, though the zero-grade genitive plural form korun českých is used on banknotes and coins of value 5 Kč or higher). The ISO 4217 code is CZK and the local acronym is Kč, which is placed after the numeric value (e.g., "50 Kč") or sometimes before it (as is seen on the 10-koruna coin). One crown is made up of 100 hellers (abbreviated as "h", official name in Czech: singular: haléř, nominative plural: haléře, genitive plural: haléřů – used with numbers higher or equal to 5 – e.g. 3 haléře, 8 haléřů), but hellers have now been withdrawn from circulation, and the smallest unit of physical currency is 1 Kč.

In 1892, the Austro-Hungarian krone replaced the gulden at the rate of two kronen to one gulden (which is also the reason why the 10 Kč coin had been nicknamed pětka or "fiver" - and has been in use in informal conversation up until nowadays). The name was suggested by the emperor, Franz Joseph I of Austria. After Austria-Hungary dissolved in 1918, Czechoslovakia was the only successor state to retain the name of its imperial-era currency. In the late 1920s, the Czechoslovak koruna was the hardest currency in Europe. During the Second World War, the currency on the occupied Czech territory was artificially weakened. The Czechoslovak crown was restored after the war. It underwent a highly controversial monetary reform in 1953.

The Czech koruna replaced the Czechoslovak koruna in 1993 after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. It first consisted of overstamped 20 Kčs, 50 Kčs, 100 Kčs, 500 Kčs, and 1,000 Kčs banknotes, and a new series was properly introduced in 1993.

In November 2013, the Czech National Bank (ČNB) intervened to weaken the exchange rate of the koruna through a monetary stimulus to stop the currency from excessive strengthening.^[1] This was meant to support the Czech economy, mainly focused on export, but people were unhappy about this step because it was set up before Christmas, which led to raising the prices of imported goods. In late 2016, the ČNB stated that the return to conventional monetary policy was planned for mid-2017.^[2][3] After higher-than-expected inflation and other figures, the national bank removed the cap at a special monetary meeting on April 6, 2017. The koruna avoided significant volatility and City Index Group stated: "If you want to drop a currency peg, then the ČNB can show you how to do it".^[4]

The Czech Republic planned to adopt the euro in 2010, but its government suspended that plan indefinitely in 2005.^[5] Although the country is economically well positioned to adopt the euro, there is considerable opposition to the move within the Czech Republic.^[6] According to a survey conducted in April 2014, only 16% of the Czech population was in favour of replacing the koruna with the euro.^[7] As reported by an April 2018 survey by CVVM (Public Opinion Research Center), this value has remained at nearly identical levels over the past four years[which four years?], with only 20% of the Czech population above 15 years old supporting euro adoption.^[8]

The coins of the Czech koruna increase in size and weight with value.

In 1993, coins were introduced in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 haléřů (h), 1 Kč, 2 Kč, 5 Kč, 10 Kč, 20 Kč and 50 Kč. The 10 h and 20 h coins were taken out of circulation by 31 October 2003 and the 50 h coins by 31 August 2008 due to their diminishing purchasing power and circulation.^[9] However, financial amounts are still written with the accuracy of 1-haléř (CZK 0.01); prices in retail shops are usually multiples of CZK 0.10. When cash transactions are made, the amount is rounded to the nearest integer.

In 2000, the 10 Kč and 20 Kč coins were minted with different obverses to commemorate the millennium. In 1993 and 1994, coins were minted in Winnipeg and Hamburg, then in the Czech Republic. The 10 Kč and 50 Kč coins were designed by Ladislav Kozák [cs] (1934–2007).

Since 1997, sets for collectors are also issued yearly with proof-quality coins. Also, a tradition exists of issuing commemorative coins – including silver and gold coins – for numismatic purposes.

For a complete listing, see Commemorative coins of the Czech Republic.

The first Czech banknotes were issued on 8 February 1993 and consisted of Czechoslovak notes with adhesive stamps affixed to them. Only the 100 Kčs, 500 Kčs and 1,000 Kčs notes were overstamped, the lower denominations circulated unchanged during this transitional period. Each stamp bears a Roman and Arabic numeral identifying the denomination of the banknote to which it is affixed (C and 100, D and 500, M and 1,000). Subsequent issues of the 1,000 Kč note replaced the adhesive stamp with a printed image of same.^[11]

A newly designed series of banknotes in denominations of 20 Kč, 50 Kč, 100 Kč, 200 Kč, 500 Kč, 1,000 Kč and 5,000 Kč were introduced later in 1993 and are still in use at present – except for 20 Kč, 50 Kč and the first versions of 1,000 Kč and 5,000 Kč notes, since the security features of 1,000 Kč and 5,000 Kč notes were upgraded in the subsequent issues (The 2,000 Kč note, which was introduced in 1996, is still valid in all versions, with and without the new security features). These banknotes, designed by Oldřich Kulhánek, feature renowned Czech persons on the obverse and abstract compositions on the reverse. Modern protective elements can be found on all banknotes.

In 2007, the Czech National Bank started issuing new upgraded banknotes with upgraded security features. These include a new colour-shifting security thread, additional watermarks and EURion constellations. The first denomination to be issued with the new features was the 2,000 Kč, followed by the 1,000 Kč in 2008, the 500 Kč and 5,000 Kč in 2009 and finally ending with the issuance of the 100 Kč and 200 Kč notes in 2018.

Current banknotes

This section needs to be updated. (September 2023)

More information 1993 series, Image ...

1993 series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main colour		Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse					Obverse	Reverse	printing	issue	withdrawal	lapse
		20 Kč	128 × 64 mm		Blue	Přemysl Otakar I	Ottokar's crown Seal of the Golden Bull of Sicily	1994	20 April 1994	31 August 2008	31 August 2014[12]
		50 Kč	134 × 64 mm		Red	Saint Agnes of Bohemia	Vault of St. Salvator's church Convent of Saint Agnes	1993	6 October 1993	31 January 2007	31 March 2017[13]
								1994	21 December 1994	31 March 2011
								1997	10 September 1997	31 March 2011
		100 Kč	140 × 69 mm		Turquoise	Charles IV	Seal of Charles University	1993	30 June 1993	31 January 2007	1 July 2022[14]
								1995	21 June 1995	current
								1997	15 October 1997	current
		200 Kč	146 × 69 mm		Orange	John Amos Comenius	Orbis Pictus Joined hands of an adult and a child	1993	8 February 1993	31 January 2007	1 July 2022[14]
								1996	14 August 1996	current
								1998	6 January 1999	current
		500 Kč	152 × 69 mm		Brown	Božena Němcová	Laureate woman	1993	21 July 1993	31 January 2007	1 July 2022[14]
								1995	27 December 1995	current
								1997	18 March 1998	current
		1000 Kč	158 × 74 mm		Violet	František Palacký	Eagle Archbishop's Castle in Kroměříž	1993	12 May 1993	30 June 2001	1 July 2022[14]
								1996	6 December 1996	current
		2000 Kč	164 × 74 mm		Green	Emmy Destinn	Euterpe, violin and cello	1996	1 October 1996	current
								1999	1 December 1999	current
		5000 Kč	170 × 74 mm		Grey	Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk	Gothic and Baroque buildings in Prague St. Vitus Cathedral	1993	15 December 1993	30 June 2001	1 July 2022[14]
								1999	8 September 1999	current
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

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• Bohemia and Moravia crown
• Commemorative coins of the Czech Republic
• Czech Republic and the euro
• Czechoslovak crown
• Economy of the Czech Republic
• Slovak crown