Coin Update» Mint of Poland

First-of-Its-Kind Puzzle Shaped Coins for the One You Love

Michael Alexander — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:07:30 +0000

The Government of Niue will launch (30^th January) a set of coins with a special message of love and togetherness, the perfect token of affection for your significant other and… just in time for Valentine’s Day!

The unusual pair is struck by the Mint of Poland who have become widely known and highly regarded for producing coins with innovative shapes and technical advancements. The coins take the shape of inter-connecting jigsaw puzzle pieces, which actually fit together to form one larger coin of two halves. Designed by the artist Beata Aleksandrowitz, the coins also include cut crystals from Swarovski and a color application depicting a red heart, also in two halves.

The reverse design of the coin includes a pair of “love birds” each of them perched on a branch surrounded by flowers and offering their half of the heart to one another. On one half of the coin is the word “YOU” and on the corresponding side, the word “ME”. The obverse of the coins also offers corresponding elements, including a string of heart-shaped balloons which illustrate two halves along with the year of issue “2012” and the coin’s denomination of 1 Dollar. A cameo-style effigy of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is placed on each half.

The coins are struck in sterling silver and in proof quality. Each side of the coin weighs 14 grams with a diameter of 37 / 29.9 mm. Sold in pairs, they are meant to be handled and, as a precaution to tarnishing, a protective coating has been added to the surface of the coins. The coins will be on display for the first time at the World Money Fair in Berlin from the 3^rd to the 5^th February.

For more information of these numismatic “firsts”, please visit the website of the Mint of Poland at: http://www.mennica.com.pl/en/main-page.html

Silver Coin Honors Polish Legends in the Field of Entertainment

Michael Alexander — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:05:41 +0000

The National Bank of Poland have issued a collector’s coin to highlight Polish popular music along with those artists seen as instrumental in bringing their style of entertainment to national attention. The coin is the latest release in the on-going series highlighting popular culture and entertainment.

Jeremi Przybora (1915 – 2004) and Jerzy Wasowski (1913 – 1984) are considered among the most prominent entertainers in Poland during their lifetime and are noted to have contributed to popular polish culture with the composing of songs, poems, and scripts as well as creating television shows and memorable characters. The obverse of the coin depicts the duo in front-facing portraits along with text reflecting the coin series (History of Polish Popular Music) and the names of both entertainers below their image.

The reverse includes elements of a TV camera seen to the far left, a microphone and sections of sheet music & notes along with the coin’s face value of 10 Zlotych and national emblem, the eagle positioned just above the television camera. The year of issue “2011” is located just below the denomination.

The coin is issued as a sterling silver proof with a weight of 14.1 grams and a diameter of 32 mm. A total mintage of 50,000 pieces has been authorized. This coin and its square-shaped companion piece are the last silver collector coins issued by the National Bank or the year.

For more information on this and other coins issued by the National Bank of Poland, please visit their website at: http://www.nbp.pl/homen.aspx?f=/en/banknoty/kolekcjonerskie/2011.html#15

Polish Entertainers Jeremi Przybora and Jerzy Wasowski Featured on Square Coin

Michael Alexander — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:09:06 +0000

The National Bank of Poland have issued (8^th December) a distinctive square coin to highlight Polish popular music and television along with those artists seen as instrumental in bringing their style of entertainment to national attention. Jeremi Przybora and Jerzy Wasowski are well known entertainers and the creators of “Kabaret Starszych Panow” (Old Gentlemen's Cabaret) a popular TV variety series which aired from 1958 to 1966 which was filmed in Warsaw.

Struck by the Mint of Poland SA, the coin features these two popular performers on the obverse in character with their familiar costume of top hat and tails along with text reflecting the coin series (History of Polish Popular Music) and television program.

The reverse of the coin continues with the trademark top hat and walking stick, synonymous with the gentlemanly style of the cabaret-type variety show, along with the coin’s denomination of 10 Zlotych and national emblem, the eagle positioned just to the upper right corner. The year of issue “2011” appears to the right of the eagle.

The coin is issued as a sterling silver proof with a weight of 14.1 grams and a square dimension of 28.2 mm. A total mintage of 50,000 pieces has been authorized.

For more information on this and other coins issued by the National Bank of Poland, please visit their website at: http://www.nbp.pl/homen.aspx?f=/en/banknoty/kolekcjonerskie/2011.html#15

Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Coin Launched in Poland

Michael Alexander — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:49:27 +0000

On December 13, the Mint of Poland together with the National Bank of Poland launched their 2012 coin issues program with a bash. They organized a celebration for the first strikes of coins commemorating the “Great Orchestra of Christmas” charity, an organization which raises money for underprivileged children nationwide. The year 2012 is also the 20th anniversary of the charity, which is inscribed on the coins.

The silver heart-shaped coin is the first time that the National Bank has issued such an item and the first time they have teamed up with the well-loved charity to issue a coin in their honor. In attendance was the chairman of the National Bank of Poland Mr. Marek Belka and founder of the Great Orchestra of Christmas charity, Mr. Jerzy Owsiak who struck the first coins. The National Bank have announced that these unusual coins will go on sale from the 1^st January on a bidding basis with a special website offering details which went on-line during the day of launch.

The coin’s design is the work of Urszula Walerzak and includes the commemorative 20^th year anniversary text along with a tree and heart flowers. The reverse depicts a piano keyboard cascading up and down the left side of the coin along with the emblem of Poland, the eagle and the coin’s face value of 10 Zlotych.

Struck in sterling silver to proof quality, the coin weighs 14.1 grams with dimensions of 28 / 30 mm. There is a total mintage authorized at 60,000 pieces. A 2 Zlotych circulation type coin struck in Nordic gold will also be available through commercial banks throughout Poland from the 5^th January.

For more information on this and other coins issued from the National Bank, please visit their website at: http://www.nbp.pl/homen.aspx?f=/en/banknoty/kolekcjonerskie/2011.html

Beatification of John Paul II Silver Coin from the Mint of Poland

Michael Alexander — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:17:21 +0000

On April 29, 2011, the National Bank of Poland issued a silver crown coin to mark the beatification of the late John Paul II. He served as Pope from October 1978 until his death in April 2005, ending one of the longest papal reigns in history at 26 years 168 days.

Minted by the Mennica Polska, (The Mint of Poland) the coin honors its most famous son who is now one step closer to sainthood after the announcement on the 1st May from Vatican City. The coin, with a denomination of 20 Zlotych is the work of artist Ewa Tyc – Karpińska. The obverse shows John Paul II with his arms outstretched to greet the masses. A color application is included over the background image of the globe, as John Paul II was the most widely traveled pontiff in history. The reverse depicts the late pontiff ascending a staircase.

The coin is struck to proof quality in .925 silver with a weight of 28.2 grams and a diameter of 38.6 mm. The coin will have a total mintage of 80,000 pieces. A 2 Zlotych coin struck in base metal is also available.

The Mint of Poland has also issued three gold coins to mark the beatification of John Paul II.

For more information about this coin and others offered by the National Bank of Poland, please visit their website at: http://www.nbp.pl/homen.aspx?f=/en/banknoty/kolekcjonerskie/2011.html

Three Gold Coins Mark Beatification of Pope John Paul II

Michael Alexander — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:53:22 +0000

The National Bank of Poland has issued (29th April) three new gold coins to mark the announcement of the Beatification of his late holiness, Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005) who was the world’s first Polish head of the Catholic Church. The current Pope Benedict XVI announced the beatification, which is the first stage to Sainthood, on the 1st May from Vatican City.

Struck at the Mennica Polska (The Mint of Poland), the three coins are designed by artist Ewa Tyc-Karpińska and portray John Paul II in both formal and informal poses. The largest of the three, a 1000 Zlotych denomination shows His Holiness in formal robes with Mitre and sceptre on the obverse along with the legend “BEATYFIKACJA JANA PAWŁA II – 1 V 2011”. The reverse carries an intricately engraved image of circular stained glass pane along with the national emblem, the crowned eagle, in the center and the coin’s year of issue and denomination below.

The second coin, with a 100 Zlotych value, portrays John Paul II with hands clasped with the same legend and reverse design. The third, a 25 Zlotych coin, shows a three quarter profile of John Paul II with the same legend while the reverse depicts the national emblem along with the coin’s value and year of issue.

All three coins are offered in proof quality.

Born Karol Józef Wojtyła in the town of Wadowice, Poland in 1920, he was ordained as a priest in November 1946. He was appointed Bishop in 1958 and was promoted to the College of Cardinals in 1967. Cardinal Wojtyla was elected Pope by the College of Cardinals in 1978 after the papacy of John Paul I ended after only 33 days. Pope John Paul II’s reign in contrast was the second longest in history at 26 years 168 days. He is especially remembered for his steadfast position against communism and is credited with facilitating the eventual downfall of Poland’s communist government as well as those in the rest of Eastern Europe.

For more information on this and other coins offered by the Mint of Poland, please visit their website at: http://www.nbp.pl/homen.aspx?f=/en/banknoty/kolekcjonerskie/2011.html

Silver Coins Issued in Memory of the Victims of the Smolensk Plane Crash

Michael Alexander — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:13:27 +0000

The National Bank of Poland have issued a silver coin to mark the tragic events which occurred one year ago. The 10th April 2010 was the day when the President of the Republic Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria the First Lady of Poland along other members of the government, commerce, and notoriety were killed in a plane crash in Smolensk, Russia. On their way to attend a 70th anniversary memorial to the victims of the Katyn Massacre, the plane was reported lost due to poor weather conditions and the tragic events unfolded resulting in the death of all 96 people on board.

The obverse of the coin shows the outline of the passenger jet plane along with the branches of a tree. Inscriptions indicate the date of the tragedy, “10.04.2010” and the name of the city, “SMOLENSK”.

The reverse of the coin depicts several trees without their tops, as the plane had sheared off the branches during the emergency landing. The denomination of “20 Zlotych” is seen just to the left of the main design along with the national emblem, the crowned eagle. The year of issue “2011” is positioned to the lower right side.

The coin is struck by the Mint of Poland to proof quality and in sterling silver with a weight of 28.2 grams and a diameter of 38.6 mm.

A 10 Zlotych proof silver coin with a portrait of Slawomir Skrzypek, the late president of the National Bank of Poland who was on board the Smolensk flight is also available. The specifications for this coin are 32 mm in diameter with a weight of 14.1 grams of sterling silver.

For more information on these and other coins offered by the National Bank, please visit their website at: http://www.nbp.pl/homen.aspx?f=/en/banknoty/kolekcjonerskie/2011.html

Silver Coin Marks the 30th Anniversary of Poland’s Solidarity Movement

Michael Alexander — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:27:12 +0000

The National Bank of Poland has issued a new silver coin to mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Solidarity movement. Solidarity was Poland's first (as well as the first in any Warsaw pact country) non-communist party controlled trade union, which was established in the shipyards of Gdansk.

The obverse of the silver coin shows an image of a crowd formed in the shape of the letter "S" with raised hands as a sign of victory. The stylized date of 1980 appears over the crowd. On either side of the primary design is the inscription "POLISH SIEPRIEŃ".

The reverse of the coin shows the Roman numeral "XXX" carrying the Polish flag. The design is created by using a red color application onto the surface of the coin. Around the central design is the inscription "REPUBLIC OF POLAND". Above the central design is the nation's eagle emblem with the denomination of 10 Złotych and the date 2010 to either side.

Each coin is struck in .925 silver with a diameter of 32 millimeters and weight of 14.1 grams. Coins are proof quality with a mintage limit of 50,000 pieces.

For more information, please visit the Mint of Poland's retail service website at http://www.skarbiecmennicy.pl/

Silver Coin Issued for 400th Anniversary of the Battle of Klushino

Michael Alexander — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:49:53 +0000

The Mint of Poland has struck, on behalf of the National Bank of Poland, a new silver collector coin which honors the 400th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Klushino on the 4th July 1610. This nine year conflict between Poland and Russia resulted in the Polish King Sigismund III being declared King of Russia, albeit for only one year.

The innovative coin is Poland’s first to be struck in an elongated oval shape and carries a denomination of 10 Zlotych. The obverse includes a rendition of Hetman – Commander Stanislaw Zolkiewski of the Polish forces in the center. A background image features the Polish army with the traditional eagle of the Republic of Poland to the left and Moscow troops to the right. The reverse shows a stylized image of galloping hussars on horseback along with the banners carried with them into battle.

The coin is struck in .925 silver with a proof and spot blaze application (reverse). The coin weighs 14.1 grams with dimensions of 40 / 26 mm. A maximum of 60,000 examples will be struck.

For more information, please visit the website of the Mint of Poland at: www.mennica.com.pl

Interview with Mint of Poland’s Grzegorz Stepniak

Michael Alexander — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:24:34 +0000

Warsaw is an amazing city, complete with tall, lean buildings and glass skyscrapers on its bustling avenues. In others, old world charm oozes from every nook and cranny, which is even more amazing since all of its old town was painstakingly restored to the beautiful district that attracts both tourists and locals. Like so much of the country, the Mint of Poland has undergone dramatic change. From a state-owned entity to a wholly privatized company with a listing on the Warsaw stock exchange, the Mint of Poland has gone from strength to strength and continues to embark on ambitious programs and international partnerships.

I spoke to Grzgory Stepniak, the Mint of Poland's Director of Foreign Trade whose direct and optimistic "can-do" approach is certainly a real asset to carrying out his important duties. With all the extraordinary changes in this amazing country over the generations, the resolute spirit of the Polish people remains ever-present, and this is without a doubt, faithfully reflected on many of the beautiful Polish coins.

Michael Alexander: "Dzien dobry" (Good afternoon) Poland has undergone an enormous transformation within the last 20 years and 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the solidarity political movement. Can you tell me within this period, what was the most significant change for the Mint of Poland?

Grzgory Stepniak: The priority for the Mennica Polska (Mint of Poland) after the adoption of a free market economy was the privatization of the Mint. The real turning point for us was when we were listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Prior to this significant change, all of the products we produced were sent directly to the National Bank of Poland. So, we needed to find new customers mainly abroad, which also meant finding the right people to help transform the company. We needed to open our eyes to the wider world and to the possibilities which we could operate as a world class Mint. As we now have investors, we have to report quarterly results and they expect us to perform well and also to make the investment in ourselves with machinery and management to compete internationally. If I may say, we also have an exceptional team of "medaliers" who have created exceptional designs, and this alone has increased our clients from abroad since many of them consistently win awards for their designs.

MA: 2009 was a significant year as your country also marks 20 years of the fall of communism, can you tell me what the Mint issued to mark this important event and anniversary?

GS: Well, 1989 was a very significant year. I think the 4^th June is probably what you're referring to. It's the date when we held "Half free" parliament elections. This date was celebrated here at the Mennica Polska with the issue of a "Ducat locale" medal. The design of the medal depicts the exact historical moment when Lech Walesa is carried on the shoulders of his supporters as Solidarity was registered as a political entity. We organized a press conference on the 3^rd June and hosted former President Walesa here at the Mint and our chairman presented him with a large size replica of the medal we produced for the occasion. The three coins which the National Bank issued were also minted here at the Mennica Polska.

MA: Prior to the new name, you were previously the Mint of Warsaw and you celebrated 225 years in 1991, can you share any more important events of its history?

GS: Yes, of course. Coins were actually a passion of King Stanislaw August Poniatowski who founded our Mint in 1766. The king financed the activity of the Mint of Warsaw and took a personal interest to insure that it produced the most beautiful coins in Europe. In 1794 Russian and then Prussian troops occupied Warsaw and there was no minting in Poland for about thirty years. After the Congress of Vienna established the Kingdom of Poland in 1816 which was ruled by Alexander I of Russia, a new monetary system was introduced. The Mint of Warsaw produced ruble coins which slowly replaced the Polish currency. When Poland finally achieved total independence in 1918, the country had four currencies in use. The German Mark, the Austrian Corona, the Russian Ruble and the Polish Mark (the currency of the Kingdom of Poland) In 1924 a new minting facility in Warsaw was started which is where the new Polish "Zloty" was produced for the first time. After the 1^st September 1939, our Mint was attacked by the German Air force and did not function again until about 1953.

MA: It must have been difficult to function especially during the war years under occupation.

GS: There's one specific part of our history which could have inspired any spy novel. During the Nazi occupation, a man calling himself "Doctor Muhlman" appeared at the Mint who claimed to be an historian. He ordered our staff to pack boxes containing numerous numismatic items and transport them to Germany. While packing, the employees managed to hide a collection of Stanislaw August Poniatowski's metal punches from the 18th century. Fortunately, this Doctor Muhlman went out for dinner and during this time, the staff opened another box and removed the most valuable Polish historical coins, including gold coins, silver riks-dollars and medals. Thanks to these brave people, we can now see these items in the Mint's Numismatic Cabinet. They survived the war buried at one of the estates in Warsaw.

MA: The Mint of Poland was very active during the communist years and I was always able to find many Polish coins whilst living in the U.S. or the U.K., why do you think this was possible?

GS: Well, I'm pleased that it was easy for you to obtain Polish coins during these years. Officially, the only distributor of Polish coins was the National Bank but perhaps the reason you found the coins was due to the private activity of the Polish people themselves! We believe they must have been carried to other countries simply in the pockets by the many Poles who managed to get to the United States, Britain, Germany and other parts of Europe. I will say that it was this activity in the private sector which gave us the strong market we had even in those days. Almost every young Polish boy used to collect coins during the communist years and when there was a special event in their life, their parents would give them either a silver or gold coin for the occasion. This probably helped our coins reach foreign collectors. It was much easier to sell these coins rather than to exchange actual Zloty which had almost no value outside Poland.

MA: Speaking of the Zloty, a Polish TV news broadcaster several years ago held up a 200,000 Zlotych banknote to the camera as many viewers did not believe it existed. Can you tell me what challenges the Mint faced at this time with an inflated currency system?

GS: When you think about this note today, it's equal to 20 new Zloty ($6.20) which was introduced in 1995! It was a crucial time and remained so until around 1994 - 95 when inflation wasn't so much of a concern. It was also crucial in terms of just the physical aspect of spending money. Can you imagine having to carry so many banknotes for just a small purchase? You couldn't keep a coin in circulation for very long until it lost its value so for a significant period of time, we had only banknotes in circulation. We still concentrated on the core of our business, producing coins for the country which was our main source of income. But during this time, we were able to develop a more diverse activity with respect to overseas clients especially after our privatization and listing on the Stock exchange, it all happened at the same time.

MA: During this period of inflation, the Mint produced some very beautiful commemorative coins. One of my all-time favorites was in 1991 for the 200th anniversary of Poland's constitution. How important was it to highlight such an historic event and do you think coins can make any difference in shaping a country's consciousness?

GS: Well, you're touching on a very important subject. Now, we're all very free to discuss anything we want including the constitution of the 3^rd May. During the communist years, it was forbidden to even mention the constitution which was in fact only the second document of its kind in the world! Although the 3^rd of May was an important anniversary, it was the 1^st May which was celebrated. So, I would have to say "yes" it does play an important role, it does help us to remember our history and gives us our "back-bone" again as a nation. Now, both the 1^st and the 3^rd of May are public holidays by choice. [13th October 2009] for instance, the National Bank is issuing three coins to mark the 25^th year of the death of Father Jerzy Popieluszko who was killed by the secret police in 1984. There will be many older people who will wait all day to buy these coins because they remember this event, but there will be many younger people who will learn about the event just by buying the coin. It's an effective way to teach the young about the history of their country.

MA: There is an extraordinary Diaspora of Poles living abroad, can you tell me what if anything the Polish Mint does to reach out to these people who still want to collect the coins of their homeland, is this market important to the Mint?

GS: I would say it is very important and now with the National Bank of Poland, there are many distribution points worldwide. For instance in the case of the coin for Father Jerzy Popieluszko, I can certainly imagine that there will be a line of collectors in Chicago who will be able to add this coin to their collection today. As worldwide distributors, these companies are able to buy them direct from the National Bank, we will sell these coins also in our shop as well but we too, have to buy them from the National Bank as one of their distributors.

MA: Even though you mint the coins, you still have to purchase them from the National Bank?

GS: Yes, of course. However, we created about a year ago, a subsidiary of the Mint called "Skarbiec Mennicy Polskiej" (Polish Treasury Mint) which is wholly owned by the Mint of Poland. This is our retail outlet and it does have an excellent website in the Polish, English and also Russian language which we know has many foreign clients all over the world. This outlet not only sells the coins issued by the National Bank of Poland but, it also sells the many medals and foreign coins which we mint. Where we can identify a large population of Poles living abroad, we would like to establish relations with at least one dedicated distributor to make the purchasing of all of the coins we sell much easier. I'd also like to stress that no matter where you are, if it's just one coin you would like to order, if you write to us, we answer every inquiry as soon as possible.

MA: A more poignant issue for 2009 were the coins to mark the 60th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, do you believe that Poles feel this anniversary more?

GS: The answer to your question is yes. I think we do feel this anniversary as a nation more than perhaps any other Europeans, it's an extremely important anniversary for us. The 1^st September really was the beginning of the Second World War. I would imagine that people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which I have great respect for, may regard 1938 as the beginning of the war, but the real war began with the death of thousands of Poles in September 1939. This month on the 17^th, also began the war with the Soviet Union, so we had hostilities from both sides, east and west. This is why the coin to mark this anniversary carries both dates, the 1^st September and the 17^th September as well as a map of Poland which shows our country divided by the invaders.

MA: 2009 coin issues reflect a wonderful mix of marking national anniversaries and occasions, what's coming up for 2010 which you think will especially stand out with collectors?

GS: One of the first coins to be issued in 2010 will mark the extraordinary history of the Polish Cavalry. A new series of coins will highlight Polish explorers and Benedykt Dybowski, a well known naturalist and physician will be the first person featured. The 90^th anniversary of the battle of Warsaw will be commemorated and there will be another coin in the "Monuments of Poland" series, and the city of Krzeszow will feature.

MA: Any information at this time about Polish EURO coins?

GS: I can only say that we are very prepared for this eventuality. In fact, as soon as we are given the "go-ahead" we could produce enough coins for Poland's population of forty million & the change-over in less than twenty four months. We already have some experience in this field as we produce some blanks for some EURO-zone countries.

MA: Lastly, as I always conclude my interviews, I know that many of our readers like to know if heads of Mints such as yourself are also collectors of coins and if so in your case, can you tell me what's in your collection.?

GS: Well, I'm new to the exclusive "club of collectors" and I prefer to collect from an artistic point of view. My collection started with the "Amber Road" series and then went on to include the Zodiac series which we minted for Belarus, the art & design for me was the most important aspect. My collection may be limited for the time being but, what is included has an artistic angle which is important for me.

MA: With so many innovative designs coming out of the Mennica Polska, I'm sure there will be many more coins to add to your collection in the future, Mr. Grzegorz Stepniak, Director of foreign Trade of the Mint of Poland, dziękuję (Thank you) very much for your time today.

GS: You're most welcome!

I would like to thank everyone at the Mennica Polska for their kind assistance and hospitality with the production of this article. Additional comments were also kindly provided by Mariusz Przybylski, Public Relations Manager of the Mennica Polska.

For further information on Polish coins and placing orders, visit the Mint of Poland's website at www.mennica.com.pl