The National Bank of Serbia today presented a new issue of coins featuring, for the first time, the coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia. At the invitation of the Governor of the National Bank, Radovan Jelasic, the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Predrag Markovic, addressing the attendees, said that he was very proud that the Serbian coat of arms would from now on be displayed on dinar coins.

‘Personally, I don’t like governors; I don’t like this one, and I didn’t like the last one, because they are stingy. Although I personally don’t like that, it’s good for the nation, and both of them have proven, each one during his term of office, that they are able to preserve the tradition of our nationhood. The previous governor placed a picture of Slobodan Jovanovic, the most persevering advocate of parliamentarianism, on our largest denomination banknote; this one placed the Serbian coat of arms on the Serbian dinar. The plaque on the National Assembly building reads only “Assembly”, but over the inscription there is the coat of arms of Serbia, and that says – “here is where the nation lives”. So it is with money, there is where the nation will live from now on. Until now our money bore the coat of arms of a non-existing nation, and behind a non-existing nation stands non-existing money. Then it bore the emblem of the bank. From now on, the state of Serbia will guarantee the value of money, by the very fact that its coat of arms is on the coins. The National Bank or commercial banks cannot back the currency; the state can, and must. From today, the dinar in the pockets of each member of the public will read – “In the state of Serbia I trust”’, Mr Markovic concluded. He once again thanked all deputies for making it possible for the Assembly to vote unanimously to restore national symbols: the coat of arms, the flag and the anthem of Serbia.

The coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia will feature on the one, five and ten-dinar coins, as well as on the 200 dinar banknote.

The Governor of the National Bank today also uncovered a memorial plaque dedicated to Serbian playwright Branislav Nusic, who was born in a house that stood where the building of the National Bank of Serbia now stands.