North Macedonia's denar creation involved secret logistics through Albania

During the dissolution of Yugoslavia, North Macedonia conducted a highly secretive operation to establish its own currency, the denar, to combat economic instability and hyperinflation. According to Ljube Trpeski, former governor of the National Bank, a special group was formed under the direction of then-President Kiro Gligorov to manage the transition.

A major logistical challenge involved securing specialized banknote paper produced only in a Slovenian factory. To bypass conflict zones and controls from Belgrade, the paper was clandestinely transported by ship to Albania and then moved into North Macedonia by truck.

The first trial banknotes were printed at the ‘11 Oktomvri’ printing house in Prilep. These initial notes were unique in that they displayed only numerical values rather than the currency's name. Following this, an international design competition was held in 1993, resulting in final banknotes that featured cultural, historical, and natural symbols instead of portraits of historical figures.