Yugoslav 50 dinar coin

This article is about the Yugoslav coin minted from 1932 to 1993. For the Macedonian coin of a similar denomination, see Macedonian 50 denar coin.

50 dinara
1993 coin
General information
Country	FR Yugoslavia SFR/FPR Yugoslavia Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Used by	FR Yugoslavia (1992–1993) SFR/FPR Yugoslavia (1957–1989) Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1932–1941) German occupied Serbia (1942)
Value	50.00 dinara
Years	1932–1993
Measurements and composition
Mass	22 g (1932) 15 g (1938) 6 g (1955-1963) 20 g (1968) 7.6 g (1985-1988) 3.9 g (1988-1989) 7.5 g (1992) 7 g (1993)
Diameter	36 mm (1932) 31 mm (1938) 25.5 mm (1955-1963) 34 mm (1968) 27 mm (1985-1988) 21 mm (1988-1989) 27 mm (1992) 26 mm (1993)
Thickness	2.4 mm (1938) 1.8 mm (1955-1988) 1.4 mm (1988-1989) 1.7 mm (1993)
Composition	silver (1932-1938, 1968) aluminum-bronze (1955-1963) copper-nickel-zinc (1985-1988, 1993) brass (1988-1992)
Appearance
Shape	round
Alignment	coin (1932-1938, 1968) medallic (1955-1993)
Edge	plain with "BOG ČUVA JUGOSLAVIJU" (1932) plain with "БОГ ЧУВА ЈУГОСЛАВИЈУ ***" (1938) reeded (1955-1988, 1992) plain (1988-1989, 1993)
Obverse	See text
Reverse	See text
v · d · e

The 50 dinar coin is a circulation and commemorative piece of Yugoslavia, a former Southeast European country that existed during the 20th and early 21st centuries. It was issued in nine types from 1932 to 1993: two under the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, one under the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (FPR Yugoslavia), four under the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFR Yugoslavia), and two under the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FR Yugoslavia; later known as Serbia and Montenegro).

The first coin, a circulation piece of King Alexander I (1888–1934; r. 1921–1934), was produced in two major varieties (and various other subvarieties) in 1932. This monarchical issue was followed by another 50 dinar coin (dated 1938) that was introduced in 1939, during the later rule of King Peter II (1923–1970; r. 1934–1945) and his regent, Prince Paul Karađorđević (1893–1976). The first piece was out of circulation by early 1940. The second, as part of the Yugoslav Serbian dinar, was later withdrawn from circulation in much of Yugoslavia following Germany's occupation of the country in 1941. However, it continued to see use in the Serbian region of Yugoslavia until early 1942.

During the existence of the proclaimed Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (DF Yugoslavia) from 1943 to 1945, no new coins of the denomination were introduced. The next 50 dinar piece (dated 1955) would not be released until 1957, under the short-lived Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. It was followed in 1964 by the first 50 dinar coin of SFR Yugoslavia (dated 1963). Although part of the Yugoslav Federation dinar, which was replaced in 1966, these coins remained in circulation for 0.50 hard dinar from then until the end of 1985.

An additional three 50 dinar pieces were issued during the existence of SFR Yugoslavia. The next, a non-circulating commemorative dated 1968, was released in 1969 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the second session of the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) in 1943. Another circulation coin of the denomination was then struck from 1985 to 1988, followed by yet another distributed from 1988 to 1989. These three pieces were eventually demonetized in late 1989 before the introduction of the convertible dinar in 1990.

No 50 dinar coins were issued for the convertible dinar. The next piece of the denomination would not be issued until 1992 by the newly established Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Part of the reformed dinar, this piece was out of circulation by September 1993.

The final 50 dinar coin was issued in 1993 under the short-lived 1993 dinar, which was withdrawn by the end of the year and replaced by the 1994 dinar.

All of the coins were distributed by the National Bank of Yugoslavia (now the National Bank of Serbia), which was previously known as the National Bank of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1929 to 1946. The first type was struck jointly at the Royal Mint at Tower Hill, London, and Kovnica A.D. in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (in modern Serbia). Aside from the 1968 commemorative, which was struck at the Gori & Zucchi Mint in Arezzo, Italy, and in Belgrade, all of the types introduced after 1932 were produced at the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins (Serbo-Croatian: Zavod za izradu novčanica i kovanog novca), the official mint of Yugoslavia.

Coins

Coins of the Serbian dinar (1932–1938)

Coins of Alexander I (1932)

1932 coin with a mint mark

On December 1, 1918, nearly a month after the conclusion of World War I (1914–1918), the Kingdom of Serbia was unified with Montenegro and the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (colloquially known as "Yugoslavia"). Peter I Karađorđević (1844–1921; r. 1918–1921), the previous Serbian monarch, was proclaimed king of the newly formed nation, and his dynasty, the House of Karađorđević, was established as the country's royal family.

After Peter's death in 1921, his second son, Alexander I, inherited the throne. In early 1929, in response to a political crisis, Alexander unpopularly abolished Yugoslavia's first constitution, prorogued the Parliament, and introduced a personal dictatorship. He then officially renamed the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and redefined the country's internal divisions. From then, he ruled absolutely until his assassination in 1934.

The second series of Yugoslav circulation coins, consisting of pieces in denominations of 50 para and 1, 2, 10, 20, and 50 dinara, was struck from 1925 to 1932. Introduced on January 23, 1933, the 50 dinar piece was struck under commission at the Royal Mint of the United Kingdom and at Kovnica A.D. in Belgrade. It remained in circulation until February 16, 1940. The coin was reportedly designed by Austrian artists Richard Placht (1880–1962) and Josef Prinz (1876–1960).

The 50 dinar coin, solely struck in 1932, is composed of .750 fine silver (75% silver, 25% copper) and measures 22 grams in mass and 36 millimeters in diameter. It has coin alignment and like most coins, is round in shape. The rims of both sides are raised and decorated with a beaded border, and the edge is plain and bears the Serbo-Croatian inscription "BOG ČUVA JUGOSLAVIJU", meaning "God Save Yugoslavia". The direction this text is printed in is inconsistent, and differs from piece to piece.

A left-facing bust of King Alexander I is displayed in the middle of the obverse. The Cyrillic caption "АЛЕКСАНДАР I. КРАЉ ЈУГОСЛАВИЈЕ" (Romanized: Aleksandar I. Kralj Jugoslavije), which translates as "Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia", partially encircles the monarch's likeness, extending clockwise from the coin's lower left to lower right peripheries. On pieces struck at Kovnica A.D. in Belgrade, the inscription "·КОВНИЦА·А·Д·" (Kovnica, A.D.), is engraved in small print near Alexander's bust truncation.

Featured in the center of the reverse is a simplified rendition of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia – which consists of a double-headed eagle surmounted by the Karađorđević dynastic crown. A shield superimposes the eagle's breast, bearing symbols representative of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. On pieces struck at the Royal Mint, the number of lines making up the third square in the Croatian portion of this shield differ. While all of the remaining filled squares consist of two or three vertical lines, the third, depending on the coin variety, is comprised of either three or four lines. The Gregorian date of minting, "1932", is engraved horizontally in the middle of the piece, the first two digits (19) separated from the last two (32) by the coat of arms. Printed counterclockwise in Cyrillic at the bottom of the piece is the face "50 ДИНАРА" (Romanized: 50 dinara).

Over a single year of production, approximately 11,000,000 examples of the coin were manufactured, including 5,500,000 at each minting facility. Of these, a majority were made as business strikes, and a handful were minted as proofs. Exact mintages for each variety of the coin remain unavailable.

Patterns and trial strikes

In addition to the circulation type, various trial strikes of the 1932 piece were produced. Off-metal strikes in bronze and copper, each with a reeded edge, are known to exist. A silver proof weighing 23 grams is also reported, as is a smaller piece measuring 18.31 grams with a reeded edge and a uniface obverse trial strike with a plain edge.

Patterns with unaccepted designs were also manufactured. One such piece, listed on eBay in late 2006, bears a smaller rendition of the Yugoslav coat of arms, and noticeably smaller lettering. Composed of silver, this piece measures 17 grams in mass and has a reeded edge.

Another pattern was reportedly struck by the Monnaie de Paris in France. The letters on the obverse and the crown in the coat of arms on the reverse are noticeably smaller, and an "A" mint mark is additionally included on the piece.

Coins of Peter II (1938)

1938 coin

After Alexander's assassination in 1934, Peter II, the deceased monarch's first son, was declared the third King of Yugoslavia. However, being only 11 years old at the start of his reign, Peter was considered too young to rule the kingdom. Because of this, Prince Paul Karađorđević, a first cousin of Alexander, was assigned to govern in the young king's place until he came of age.

On March 25, 1941, despite opposition from Peter and his advisers, Prime Minister Dragiša Cvetković (1893–1969; i.o. 1939–1941) signed the Tripartite Pact, thereby aligning Yugoslavia with the Axis powers. In response, Cvetković's and Paul's regime was overthrown in a British supported coup d'état two days later, allowing the 17-year-old Peter II to seize power. This initiative directly led to the Axis invasion and subsequent German occupation of Yugoslavia that year.

In 1938, during the regency of Prince Paul, the National Bank of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia authorized the production of a new series of coins in denominations of 25 and 50 para, and 1, 2, 10, 20, and 50 dinara. The 50 dinar piece first appeared on August 16, 1939, and remained in circulation until March 3, 1942. It was produced at the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins in Belgrade and designed by Dalmatian sculptor Frano Meneghello Dinčić (1900–1986).

The 50 dinar coin, struck solely in 1938, is composed of .750 fine silver (75% silver, 25% copper) and measures 15 grams in mass, 31 millimeters in diameter, and 2.4 millimeters in thickness. It has coin alignment and is round in shape. The rims of both sides are raised and undecorated, and the edge is plain and bears the Serbo-Croatian inscription "БОГ ЧУВА ЈУГОСЛАВИЈУ ***" (Romanized: Bog Čuva Jugoslaviju), meaning "God Save Yugoslavia". The direction this text is printed in is inconsistent, and differs from piece to piece.

A right-facing bust of King Peter II appears in the center of the obverse. The Cyrillic caption "ПЕТАР II КРАЉ ЈУГОСЛАВИЈЕ" (Romanized: Petar II, Kralj Jugoslavije), which translates as "Peter II, King of Yugoslavia", partially encircles the monarch's likeness, extending clockwise from the coin's lower left to lower right peripheries. Engraved in small print near Peter's bust truncation is the Cyrillic signature of the author, "Ф·ДИНЧИЋ" (Romanized: F. Dinčić).

The reverse is similar to that of the 50 dinar coin of Alexander I. A simplified rendition of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia is illustrated in the middle, horizontally dividing the first two digits of the Gregorian date "1938" from the last two. On some coins, there is a slight gap between the necks of the double-headed eagle in the arms, while on others this gap is non-existent. Printed counterclockwise in Cyrillic along the rim below the arms is the face value "50 ДИНАРА" (Romanized: 50 dinara).

A total of 10,000,000 examples of the coin were manufactured during a single year of production. All were made as business strikes. Mintage figures for particular varieties are currently unknown.

Trial strikes and errors

At least two types of trial strikes of the 1938 piece are known to exist: a copper off-metal strike and a silver coin with a reeded edge.

Coins of the Federation dinar (1955–1963)

Circulation coins (1955–1963)

• 1963
• 1955

1963 coin

1955 coin

After being fully liberated from Axis control, the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (FPR Yugoslavia), a communist republic, was established on November 29, 1945. Marshal Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), the leader of the anti-Axis Yugoslav Partisans during World War II, served as the new government's first prime minister. Along with this office, Tito also held the position of President beginning in 1953, giving him the powers of head of government and head of state. He remained Yugoslavia's prime minister until 1963, and the nation's president until his death in 1980.

With the promulgation of a new constitution on April 7, 1963, FPR Yugoslavia was officially renamed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFR Yugoslavia). As a result of the change, various new coins and banknotes bearing the updated name were introduced in 1964. Yugoslavia continued to use the name SFR Yugoslavia until 1992, when the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was formed.

Having been discontinued during World War II, the Yugoslav Serbian dinar was replaced by the Federation dinar, which was introduced in 1944. The second series of coins for this currency, consisting of denominations of 50 para and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 dinara, was minted from 1953 to 1955 at the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins in Belgrade. As a result of Yugoslavia's name change in 1963, similar coins of the same denominations were also produced that year with updated legends. Both series were designed by Frano Meneghello Dinčić. The 50 dinar coin of FPR Yugoslavia, although dated 1955, was not released until April 25, 1957. Similarly, the piece of SFR Yugoslavia, dated 1963, was not issued until September 19, 1964. Although part of the Federation dinar, which was discontinued in 1965, both pieces continued to circulate as part of the Yugoslav hard dinar until December 31, 1985.

The two 50 dinar coins, which only differ by the legend on their obverse, are composed of an aluminum-bronze alloy of 91 percent copper and 9 percent aluminum and measure 6 grams in mass, 25.5 millimeters in diameter, and 1.8 millimeters in thickness. They have medallic alignment and a reeded edge, and are round in shape. The rims of the obverse and reverse are raised, and the former is decorated with a beaded border.

Displayed in the middle of the obverse is the emblem of FPR and SFR Yugoslavia – which consists of five (FPR) or six (SFR) lit torches surrounded by ears of wheat. A ribbon bearing the date "29·XI·1943" binds the wheat, and a radiant red star symbolizing communism appears above the entire emblem. On coins minted in 1955, this illustration is surrounded by the Serbo-Croatian name of FPR Yugoslavia, "FEDERATIVNA NARODNA REPUBLIKA JUGOSLAVIJA", which extends clockwise from the lower left to lower right rims. The legend on 1963 pieces instead reads "SOCIJALISTIČKA FEDERATIVNA REPUBLIKA JUGOSLAVIJA", and curves in the same direction along the outer boundary. Separating the beginning and end of these inscriptions at the bottom of the obverse is a group of four diamonds.

Right-facing illustrations of a Yugoslav man and woman are depicted at the left side of the reverse, a gear and four ears of wheat, respectively representing industry and agriculture, engraved to the lower right. Written horizontally to the upper right of the two people is the face value "50 ДИНАРА" (Romanized: 50 dinara). The numeral and word in the face value are separated onto their own lines, the former displayed in a significantly larger font than the latter. Inscribed in smaller print below "ДИНАРА" (Romanized: dinara) is the Gregorian date of minting, either "1955" or "1963". The signature of the artist, "DINČIĆ M·F", is engraved in a small font to the left of the Yugoslav man and woman, the surname ("DINČIĆ") featured on its own line and the first two initials of his name ("M·F") included on a new line below. All of the reverse text on the 1963 coin is larger than that on the 1955 piece.

A total of 49,051,000 examples of the 1955 piece and 495,000 specimens of the 1963 piece were reportedly produced. Because of the large difference in mintage quantities, the latter coin tends to sell at higher prices than the former, but is still relatively inexpensive. Both types were only struck with a standard finish, and a handful of each were distributed in mint sets by the National Bank of Yugoslavia.

Trial strikes and errors

In addition to the circulation types, a nickel off-metal strike of the 1955 piece and bronze strike of the 1963 coin are known to exist. The nickel piece weighs approximately 6 grams.

On a notable 1963 error coin, the hole in the letter "Р" (er) in "ДИНАРА" (Romanized: dinara) is filled. Examples with this error are uncommon, and tend to sell at higher prices than standard examples.

Coins of the hard dinar (1968–1989)

Liberation coin (1968)

1968 commemorative coin

During much of World War II, the Partisans led by Josip Broz Tito engaged Axis forces on multiple occasions with the intent of liberating Yugoslavia. To administer territories under their control, the Partisans established the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) on November 26, 1942. At a session in Jajce on November 29, 1943, among other resolutions, the AVNOJ announced its aim to rebuild Yugoslavia after the war as Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. Many of the principles decided upon at this conference were eventually implemented after Yugoslavia's complete liberation in 1945.

In 1968, in celebration of the 1943 AVNOJ session and the liberation of Yugoslavia, the National Bank of Yugoslavia authorized the production of six non-circulating commemorative coins in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 dinara. All of the pieces were struck at the private Gori & Zucchi Mint in Arezzo, Italy, and the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins in Belgrade. The 50 dinar coin of the series was designed by painter Miodrag Petrović (1915–1990) and engraved by sculptors Antun Augustinčić (1900–1979) and Nebojša Mitrić (1931–1989).

The 50 dinar piece, which was issued on June 9, 1969, is composed of .925 fine silver and measures 20 grams in mass and 34 millimeters in diameter. It has coin alignment and a reeded edge, and is round in shape. The rims of both sides of the piece are raised and undecorated.

The emblem of SFR Yugoslavia is displayed inside a circular border in the middle of the coin's obverse. On pieces minted in Arezzo, it is accompanied by a small mark consisting of an "NI" surrounded by a wreath, which appears to the lower right of the national symbol. The local name of SFR Yugoslavia in Latin and Cyrillic script is displayed outside the border, extending clockwise along the coin's left and right rims. The two alphabets are included on the coin because Serbo-Croatian uses both, depending on the language form. For instance, Serbian uses both Cyrillic and Latin, whereas Croatian only uses Latin; Bosnian and Montenegrin use both alphabets, but had yet to be standardized when the coin was introduced. In addition to Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian and Slovene, two of the other languages spoken in Yugoslavia, respectively use the Cyrillic and Latin scripts as well. On the piece, the Latin "SFR JUGOSLAVIJA", shortened for the Serbo-Croatian Socijalistička Federativna Republika Jugoslavija and Slovene Socialistična federativna republika Jugoslavija, is engraved at the left periphery, while the Cyrillic "СФР ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА", abbreviated for the Serbo-Croatian and Macedonian "Социјалистичка Федеративна Република Југославија", is displayed at the right boundary. They are separated from one another by a group of four diamonds at the top of the obverse. Printed in the opposite direction at the coin's lower rim is the numeral "50", flanked to the left by the Latin letter "D" and to the right by the Cyrillic "Д" (de). The first letter is an abbreviation for the Serbo-Croatian "DINARA" and Slovene "DINARJEV", whereas the second is a shorthand for the Serbo-Croatian "ДИНАРА" and Macedonian "ДИНАРИ" (dinari). The coin's face value is separated from the state titles by two groups of four diamonds, one at each side of the obverse.

A left-facing bust of Josip Broz Tito wearing a collared coat is featured inside a solid circular boundary in the center of the reverse. The dates "29. XI 1943 - 29. XI 1968.", respectively representing the date of the 1943 AVNOJ session and the 25th anniversary of the event, are written clockwise at the coin's upper rim. "JOSIP BROZ TITO" and "ЈОСИП БРОЗ ТИТО", the Latin and Cyrillic renderings of Tito's name, are printed along the piece's lower periphery, traveling counterclockwise from the upper left to upper right rims. These two inscriptions are separated from one another and the dates by groups of four diamonds.

A total of 21,297 proof examples were manufactured during a single year of production. Of these, an estimated 13,297 were struck by Gori & Zucchi in Arezzo and an approximate 8,000 were minted by the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins. An unknown number of examples from both facilities were included in proof sets distributed by the National Bank of Yugoslavia.

First circulation coin (1985–1988)

1988 coin

During the early 1980s, Yugoslavia experienced high levels of inflation, greatly reducing the purchasing power of the Yugoslav hard dinar. As a result, many small denomination coins and banknotes began to disappear from circulation. In response to this problem, in 1982 the National Bank of Yugoslavia issued a series of higher valued coins in denominations of 25 and 50 para, and 1, 2, 5, and 10 dinara. Three years later in 1985, these were joined by new 20, 50, and 100 dinar pieces. By then, the lower valued 25 and 50 para coins had already become virtually obsolete, and by 1986, production of the 1, 2, and 5 dinar coins had ceased. All of the coins of the series were struck at the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins in Belgrade and designed by Serbian artist Dragomir Mileusnić (1943–). The 50 dinar piece was released on July 20, 1985, and was withdrawn on December 31, 1989, with the introduction of the convertible dinar.

The 50 dinar piece, which was struck annually until 1988, is composed of a copper-nickel-zinc alloy of 61 percent copper, 20 percent zinc, and 19 percent nickel and measures 7.6 grams in mass, 27 millimeters in diameter, and 1.8 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a reeded edge, and is round in shape. Both of the coin's rims are raised and decorated with a beaded border.

The emblem of SFR Yugoslavia appears in the center of the coin's obverse, the Cyrillic legend "СФР ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА" inscribed clockwise along the rim above and its Latin equivalent, "SFR JUGOSLAVIJA", engraved in the opposite direction at the periphery below. The two legends are separated from one another by two small diamonds, one at each side of the obverse.

A large numeral "50" representing the coin's face value is displayed in the middle of the reverse. Four representations of the word dinara – the Serbo-Croatian "ДИНАРА" and "DINARA", Slovene "DINARJEV", and Macedonian "ДИНАРИ" (dinari) – are printed clockwise in that order from the coin's lower left to lower right peripheries, while the Gregorian date of minting is written in the opposite direction at the lower rim. The words are separated from one another and the date by small circular points.

Over four consecutive years of production, approximately 96,003,500 examples of the coin were manufactured, all with a standard finish. Of these, an unknown number were distributed in official mint sets by the National Bank of Yugoslavia.

Mintages
Year	Mintage
1985	25,488,000
1986	20,353,500
1987	21,792,000
1988	28,370,000
Total	96,003,500

Error coins

Various 50 dinar errors exist, including pieces with irregular die axes. Some examples were also struck using the planchets of contemporary 1, 10, and 20 dinar pieces.

Second circulation coin (1988–1989)

1988 coin

Due to continuously rising inflation, all Yugoslav coins valued between 25 para and 5 dinara had been demonetized and withdrawn by the end of 1988, leaving only 10, 20, 50, and 100 dinar coins in circulation. On November 15 of that year, the National Bank of Yugoslavia issued a new series of coins in those denominations to supplement the pieces already in circulation. They were used very briefly before being demonetized on December 31, 1989. All of the four coins were struck at the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins and designed by Serbian artist Dragomir Mileusnić.

The 50 dinar piece, which was struck into 1989, is composed of a brass alloy of 75 percent copper, 21 percent zinc, and 4 percent nickel and measures 3.9 grams in mass, 21 millimeters in diameter, and 1.4 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a plain edge, and is round in shape. The rims of both sides of the piece are raised and undecorated.

The emblem of SFR Yugoslavia is displayed in the center of the obverse, the Cyrillic "СФР ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА" revolving clockwise above the national symbol, and its Latin equivalent, "SFR JUGOSLAVIJA", traveling in the opposite direction below the emblem. Separated from one another by two small diamonds, these inscriptions form the outline of a circle. All of the elements within this circular area are enclosed within a square boundary, below which the Gregorian date of minting, "1988" or "1989", is printed horizontally in a smaller font.

A large incuse "50" is engraved inside a raised square area in the middle of the reverse. Printed by each of the square's sides is a local translation of the word dinara. At the top of the square, the Serbo-Croatian translation is displayed in Latin as "DINARA", and at the bottom it is rendered in Cyrillic as "ДИНАРА". The Slovene "DINARJEV" is printed vertically upward at the square's left side, while the Macedonian "ДИНАРИ" (dinari) is inscribed vertically downward at the right side.

Over two consecutive years of production, 49,972,000 examples of the coin were produced, all with a standard finish. Of these, a small number of uncirculated pieces were distributed in official mint sets by the National Bank of Yugoslavia. According to Ranko Mandić's Catalog of Coins of Yugoslavia and Yugoslavian Lands 1700-1994 (Serbo-Croatian: Katalog metalnog novca Jugoslavije i Jugoslovenskih zemalja 1700-1994) and derived works, pieces dated 1989 were not released into circulation, and most were eventually melted down. For this reason, they are rarer and slightly more valuable than the 1988 coins.

Mintages
Year	Mintage
1988	46,973,000
1989	2,999,000
Total	49,972,000

Trial strikes and errors

Three off-metal strikes of the 1988–1989 coin are known to exist: a brass piece dated 1988 and copper-plated zinc and brass-plated steel examples dated 1989.

Notable errors of the piece are also known, including some with irregular die axes and others struck on the planchets of contemporary 10 dinar coins.

Coins of the reformed dinar (1992)

Circulation coin (1992)

1992 coin

Because of hyperinflation in Yugoslavia during late 1989, the country's central bank revalued the dinar on January 1, 1990, creating what became known as the Yugoslav convertible dinar. Economic problems continued into the next few years, as four of the six constituent republics of Yugoslavia broke away from the South Slavic country, becoming what are now the independent nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was then founded from the union of the republics of Serbia and Montenegro in 1992.

By early 1992, hyperinflation in FR Yugoslavia had resurfaced, prompting the National Bank of Yugoslavia to revalue the dinar once more, thereby establishing the Yugoslav reformed dinar. On July 1, 1992, the National Bank of Yugoslavia released a series of coins for the new currency in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 50 dinara. However, by September 10 of the next year, these pieces had become virtually obsolete, and were demonetized. All five were struck at the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins and designed by Dragomir Mileusnić.

The 50 dinar coin of the series is composed of a brass alloy of 75 percent copper, 23 percent zinc, and 2 percent nickel, and measures 7.5 grams in mass and 27 millimeters in diameter. It has medallic alignment and a reeded edge, and is round in shape. The rims of both sides of the piece are raised and decorated with a beaded border.

The emblem of the National Bank of Yugoslavia – which consists of a monogram inside a solid rectangular boundary – is displayed in the center of the obverse. The monogram in the emblem consists of the Cyrillic letters "НБЈ", which are the initials of "Народна банка Југославије" (Romanized: Narodna banka Jugoslavije), the name of the bank in Serbo-Croatian. Printed clockwise along the rim above is the Cyrillic legend "ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА", and written in the opposite direction at the periphery below is its Latin equivalent, "JUGOSLAVIJA".

A large, thick numeral "50" is engraved in the middle of the reverse, the Cyrillic "ДИНАРА" inscribed above in smaller horizontal print and the Latin "DINARA" written below in the same size font. Displayed horizontally below the "DINARA" in even smaller print is the Gregorian date of minting, "1992".

During a single year of production, a total of 50,571,000 or 76,607,000 examples of the coin were produced. All of these were minted as business strikes.

Coins of the 1993 dinar (1993)

Circulation coin (1993)

1993 coin

Shortly after the Yugoslav reformed dinar was introduced in 1992, another period of hyperinflation devastated the economy of FR Yugoslavia. This forced the National Bank of Yugoslavia to revalue the dinar once more on October 1, 1993, establishing what became known as the 1993 or October dinar. On this date, the Yugoslav central bank introduced a series of coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dinara. A 500 dinar piece was evidently planned, but never released into circulation. By November 31, 1993, nearly two months after being introduced, the coins were withdrawn from circulation and demonetized due to their limited use. All of the pieces were struck at the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins.

The 50 dinar piece is composed of a copper-nickel-zinc alloy of 70 percent copper, 18 percent zinc, and 12 percent nickel, and measures 7 grams in mass, 26 millimeters in diameter, and 1.7 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a plain edge, and is round in shape. The rims of both sides are raised and form the outline of an octagon, and are decorated with a beaded border.

The emblem of the National Bank of Yugoslavia is featured in the middle of the coin's obverse. Printed clockwise along the rim above is the Latin "SR JUGOSLAVIJA", a shortened form of the Serbo-Croatian Savezna Republika Jugoslavija (English: "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia"). Its Cyrillic equivalent, "СР JУГОСЛАВИJА", which is abbreviated for "Савезна Република Југославија", is written below the central illustration, traveling in the opposite direction along the coin's lower rim.

A large numeral "50" is engraved in the middle of the reverse, the Cyrillic "ДИНАРА" inscribed above in smaller horizontal print and the Latin "DINARA" written below in the same size font. Printed below the latter in even smaller print is the Gregorian date of minting, "1993".

During a single year of production, about 10,823,000 examples of the coin were produced, all with a standard finish.

See also

• Yugoslav 4 dukat coin

References

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation – Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 16 (1932) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# Pn21 (1932) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# Pn21a (1932) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 24 (1938) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# Pn24 (1938) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 35 (1955) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 41 (1963) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 50 (1968) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 113 (1985–1988) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 133 (1988–1989) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 153 (1992) • Yugoslavia - 50 Dinara, KM# 158 (1993) Colnect – 50 Dinara (1932) • 50 Dinara (1938) • 50 Dinara (1955) • 50 Dinara (1963) • 50 Dinara (1968 - Anniversary of Republic) • 50 Dinara (1985–1988) • 50 Dinara (1988–1989) • 50 Dinara (1992) • 50 Dinara (1993) Numista – 50 Dinara - Aleksandar I (1932) • 50 Dinara - Petar II (1938) • 50 Dinara (1955) • 50 Dinara (1963) • 50 Dinara (1968 - Anniversary of Republic) • 50 Dinara (1985–1988) • 50 Dinara (1988–1989) • 50 Dinara (1992) • 50 Dinara (1993) (English) (French) Viščević, Zlatko (2011). Coins and Banknotes of Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia (2nd ed.). Numizmatičko društvo Castua. ISBN 9789535689003 Blog Hrvatska Numismatika – Kraljevina Jugoslavija, 50 dinara 1932, proba (Croatian) Economy of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the English Wikipedia Yugoslav dinar on the English Wikipedia

v · d · e Yugoslav dinar
Banknotes	¼ D • ½ D • 1 D • 2 D • 5 D • 10 D • 20 D • 25 D • 50 D • 100 D • 200 D • 500 D • 1,000 D • 5,000 D • 10,000 D • 20,000 D • 50,000 D • 100,000 D • 500,000 D • 1,000,000 D • 2,000,000 D • 5,000,000 D • 10,000,000 D • 50,000,000 D • 100,000,000 D • 500,000,000 D • 1,000,000,000 D • 5,000,000,000 D • 10,000,000,000 D • 50,000,000,000 D • 500,000,000,000 D
Coins	1 p • 5 p • 10 p • 20 p • 25 p • 50 p • 1 D • 2 D • 5 D • 10 D • 20 D • 50 D • 100 D • 150 D • 200 D • 250 D • 300 D • 350 D • 400 D • 500 D • 600 D • 1,000 D • 1,500 D • 2,000 D • 2,500 D • 3,000 D • 5,000 D • 6,000 D • 10,000 D • 20,000 D • 40,000 D • 50,000 D • 100,000 D • 2,000,000 D 1 Dk • 4 Dk • 8 Dk • 12 Dk
Miscellaneous	Dinar • Hyperinflation • Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins • Languages and currency • National Bank of Yugoslavia • Para • Yugoslav leaders on currency • Yugoslav mint sets • Yugoslav proof sets