Croatian coin breaks Guinness record for being smallest in the world
- by croatiaweek
- in News
(Photo credit: Branimir Kralj)
The Croatian Mint has etched its name into the Guinness World Records with the minting of the smallest commemorative coin in the world.
The gold coin, named ‘Hum’ after the Croatian town known as the smallest in the world, has a diameter of just 1.99 millimetres and weighs a mere 0.05 grams.
On Thursday, Victor Fenes, an official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, presented the certificate for this remarkable achievement to the representatives of the Croatian Mint.
(Photo credit: Branimir Kralj)
He expressed his satisfaction with witnessing the intricate process of crafting the world’s smallest coin, highlighting the long-standing tradition of Croatian numismatics.
(Photo credit: Branimir Kralj)
Croatia now holds this prestigious record, surpassing the previous record held by Switzerland.
The ‘Hum’ coin is part of a gold numismatic set, which also includes a one-ounce gold coin featuring the Višnjan Observatory, one of the top five observatories in the world for near-Earth object (NEO) measurements.
This set is presented in exclusive packaging designed by the Croatian studio Design Bureau Izvorka Jurić. The packaging features LED lights that illuminate the box, resembling the night sky, and includes gloves and a magnifier to observe the tiny coin in detail.
(Photo credit: Branimir Kralj)
The creation of this minute coin required meticulous adjustments to the production process.
The process began with the development of the coin’s motif. The challenge was to create a detailed representation of the town of Hum within the 1.99 mm diameter.
The motif was engraved using Acsys’ advanced Femto laser and “pulse forging” technology, and the coin was minted on a modern automated Sack & Kiesselbach press. Given the coin’s small dimensions, precise control of material flow was crucial, and each coin was individually inspected under a microscope after minting.
(Photo credit: Branimir Kralj)
The primary aim of this project was to demonstrate that the Croatian Mint, a newcomer to the market of high-end commemorative coins, could produce coins that meet the highest international standards.
The choice of Hum, the smallest town in the world, as the motif was a perfect fit for this record-setting coin.
The gold coin was designed by young artists Ana Divković and Nikola Vudrag.
Ana Divković
With this groundbreaking achievement, the Croatian Mint has firmly positioned itself on the global stage, showcasing its ability to innovate and create extraordinary numismatic pieces.
Nikola Vudrag
Vudrag shared insights into the challenges faced during the design process of the coins. “The greatest challenges in designing this coin were the ones invisible to the eye; the reflections of the edges of houses and the boškarin ox muscles on the reverse, which were sensed rather than seen when crafting the cast model.
The most difficult task was hiding the tiny telescope within the observatory window on the obverse. Since not all stars are always visible with the naked eye, the telescope within the observatory window is also perhaps not easily seen, yet it is there, like an eye looking out into space, looking out on us.”
Check out the video below.
