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20 Zlotych
| Issuer | Narodowy Bank Polski |
|---|---|
| Year | 1946 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Printed in dark green on a light ground, the obverse centres on an octagonal guilloche panel bearing the numeral '20' and the inscription 'DWADZIEŚCIA ZŁOTYCH' in bold letterpress, surmounted by the Polish eagle coat of arms within a cartouche flanked by the legend 'NARODOWY BANK POLSKI'. The date line 'WARSZAWA 15 MAJA 1946 ROKU' appears below, accompanied by three facsimile signatures, while guilloche medallions at each lateral margin repeat the denomination '20 ZŁ' and the serial number is printed in red at the lower centre. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse, rendered in dark green intaglio and letterpress, presents a central vignette within an ornate geometric frame showing a propeller-driven aircraft on the ground, executed in brownish-olive tones against a lightly engraved sky. Guilloche cartouches at all four corners carry the numeral '20', with the heading 'DWADZIEŚCIA ZŁOTYCH' across the top and a legal tender inscription set within a hatched panel along the lower portion. |
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| Comments |
This note belongs to the first postwar zloty series issued by Narodowy Bank Polski following the near-total collapse of the occupation currency system. The communist provisional government needed a functioning banknote series quickly, and domestic printing capacity in Warsaw had been severely disrupted — the city was still largely rubble in 1945 and early 1946. That the notes were printed in Warsaw at all reflects the political priority of demonstrating state functionality on Polish soil rather than contracting abroad.
The 1946 zloty series was short-lived. A currency reform in October 1950 replaced it at a punishing 100:3 exchange rate, wiping out savings and effectively retiring these notes from circulation within four years of issue.