2 Zlotys Benedykt Dybowski

Dybowski spent the years 1865–1883 in Siberian exile following his participation in the January Uprising, and it was during that forced deportation that he produced his most significant scientific work — a comprehensive survey of Lake Baikal's fauna that identified dozens of species previously unknown to science. The Polish state has a long habit of honoring figures whose careers were shaped by persecution, and this coin fits squarely in that pattern.

The Nordic gold alloy was adopted by NBP for its circulating commemorative 2-złoty series in 1995 and ran for over two decades.