100 Zlotys Hedwig I, Trial Strike

The 100 Złotych Jadwiga series was part of a broader Polish commemorative program running through the late communist period, when the NBP issued collector pieces as a hard-currency earner — sold abroad for dollars while ordinary Poles had little access to them. Trial strikes for this type exist in multiple metal variants, suggesting the mint at Warsaw was testing compositions before settling on the final issue. The Jadwiga pieces in particular attracted foreign collector interest given her significance as Poland's first female monarch, crowned in 1384.