10 Zlotys FAO, Trial Strike Ni

The FAO coinage program of the early 1970s prompted many national mints to produce trial and pattern pieces in alternative metals before committing to a final specification. This nickel trial for the 10 Złotych FAO issue sits outside the confirmed production run — the circulating version was struck in copper-nickel — making it an artifact of the approval process rather than monetary policy. Poland's participation in the FAO "Food for All" campaign reflected post-1956 efforts to maintain international agricultural credibility despite chronic shortfalls in domestic food production throughout the late communist period.