Hover to zoom.
The National Bank of Poland has released (21st June) a new set of six rectangular silver Proof collector coins which detail the designs of Poland’s current banknotes in denominations of 10 to 500 zloty.
The zloty, translated from the word “golden,” has been in use within Poland intermittingly since it was created by the country’s parliament in 1496 and was equal to thirty groszy — a derivative of the German coin groschen, and in place until the nineteenth century. However, though the zloty remained in use during the initial two partitions of the Polish state between the Kingdom of Prussia, the Empire of Russia, and Austria-Hungary in 1791, and a subsequent third partition, coinage from these nations was also in use. It wasn’t until the end of the First World War that the Polish state emerged once more as an independent nation and a new currency was introduced. The new provisional parliament voted in 1917 to approve the Polish marka, subdivided into 100 fenig and modelled after the German currency. The monetary reform of the short-lived Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918) and ultimately the Republic of Poland remained in use until 1924 when it was replaced lastly with the polish zloty, now divisible into 100 groszy. With the conclusion of the Second World War and the imposition of communist rule by Soviet-backed forces, the newly established National Bank released a recalibrated and third version of the zloty in 1950 with an exchange rate of 100 old to one new. This system remained in place until the end of communist rule in 1989 though the currency experienced hyper-inflation with banknotes in use denominated up to 2,000,000 zloty. As the currency stabilised and the need for a new series of banknotes became acute, the National Bank re-calibrated the zloty once again in July 1994 and initiated a new exchange rate of 100,000 old zloty to one new zloty, which also fluctuated between three and four zloty equalling one U.S. dollar. The series of banknotes of graduated sizes and coins was released in January 1995 consisting of values of 10 to 200 zlotych and coins from one groszy to five zloty. Between 2013 and 2014, additional security features were incorporated into all five denominations with an added white-coloured field where the watermark is located. A new and sixth denomination, the 500-zlotych banknote was introduced in 2017 and in 2021, the National Bank of Poland’s president announced that a 1,000-zlotych banknote (U.S. $229.00) will be introduced in the near future. All banknotes are produced within Poland at the National Bank’s security printing facilities.
The coins are produced by the Mennica Polska — Mint of Poland at their facilities in Warsaw, on behalf of the National Bank and formatted by Robert Kotowicz. The obverse sides depict in detail the second of the revised designs seen on currently circulating zlotych banknotes, which is the work of Andrzej Heidrich (1928–2019). His series entitled “Great Polish Rulers” has been in use since 1995 and each denomination includes the date of the most recently released version. The reverse side also replicates the designs and artistry seen on each denomination from 10 to 500 zlotych.
Shown on the reverse, which differentiates slightly from the notes, is the coin’s issuing authority RZECPOSPOLITA POLSKA along with the year of release 2022 seen in the upper-right corner. Each coin’s denomination is that of the banknote it represents.
| Denom. |
Metal |
Weight | Dimensions | Quality |
Mintage Limit |
| 10 to 500 zlotych |
.999 Silver |
31.1 g | 50 x 25 mm | Proof |
3,000 (sets) |
The six coin denominations are available in sets only and are specially encapsulated to accommodate their rectangular shape. All six coins are housed in a wood-crafted custom case which enhances their display with a built-in easel. For additional information, please visit the website of the National Bank of Poland.
❑
Leave a Reply