200 Zlotys People's Republic, Trial Strike

Trial strikes from Mennica Państwowa in the early 1970s were produced in multiple metal compositions before a final alloy was approved — the same design could appear in copper, aluminum, nickel, and silver before the production decision was made. This nickel example from 1974 represents one branch of that approval process for the 200-złoty denomination, a face value introduced under the Polish People's Republic as part of a broader effort to issue commemorative coinage for hard-currency export. The coins were sold abroad through Ars Polona, the state export agency, generating foreign exchange the domestic economy badly needed.