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20 Zlotys German occupation
| Issuer | Bank Emisyjny w Polsce |
|---|---|
| Year | 1940 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Zlotys (20 Złotych) |
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| Obverse description | At left, an intaglio vignette of a bearded man in a fur-trimmed hat, with a guilloche-bordered numeral '20' beneath. The central vignette presents an allegorical group in relief style: a standing female figure with two children, one kneeling at her feet. To the right, a portrait of Emilie Plater set within a fine guilloche medallion, accompanied by an ornate rosette underprint. The issuer's name 'BANK EMISYJNY W POLSCE' and denomination 'DWADZIEŚCIA ZŁOTYCH' appear in bold letterpress, with the date 'KRAKÓW 1. MARCA 1940 R.' and two facsimile signatures below. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents a detailed intaglio view of Wawel Castle in Kraków, set within a rectangular frame surrounded by fine guilloche borders. Flanking the castle vignette are two standing allegorical figures: at left, a male figure holding a model of a building and a scroll, representing architecture or industry; at right, a draped female figure holding a book and accompanied by a globe, representing science or learning. The denomination '20' appears in guilloche cartouches at lower left and lower right, with the issuer's name in a panel at the bottom center. |
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| Comments |
The Bank Emisyjny w Polsce was not the pre-war Bank Polski — it was a German-controlled institution established in April 1940 specifically to manage currency in the General Government, the rump Polish territory not annexed directly into the Reich. This note was part of the first emission from that bank, which deliberately retained Polish-language text and a familiar aesthetic to ease public acceptance of what was, in practice, an occupation currency.
The zloty issued under this system was pegged at a punishing rate against the Reichsmark — one RM to two zlotys — effectively transferring wealth out of occupied Poland through exchange.