Poland's 1981 FAO World Food Day issue was produced while the country was in acute food crisis — Solidarity-era strikes and systemic agricultural failures had created genuine shortages, lending the coin's subject matter an uncomfortable irony. The trial strike designation here reflects NBP practice of producing pattern and essai pieces for international distribution and approval before committing to full production runs.
The ParM and Fischer references both catalog this as variant "b," distinguishing it from a parallel trial in a different alloy or finish.
Poland's 1981 FAO World Food Day issue was produced while the country was in acute food crisis — Solidarity-era strikes and systemic agricultural failures had created genuine shortages, lending the coin's subject matter an uncomfortable irony. The trial strike designation here reflects NBP practice of producing pattern and essai pieces for international distribution and approval before committing to full production runs.
The ParM and Fischer references both catalog this as variant "b," distinguishing it from a parallel trial in a different alloy or finish.