500 Marks

The Polska Krajowa Kasa Pożyczkowa — the Polish State Loan Bank — was a creature of German wartime occupation, established in 1916 to manage currency in the occupied Polish territories. It outlasted its creators: when Poland re-emerged as an independent state in November 1918, the institution continued issuing notes under the new government while a proper national bank was still being organized. This 500 Marek note from 1919 belongs to that transitional period, when the PKKP was essentially bridging the monetary gap before the Bank Polski could take over.

Rampant inflation during 1919–1922 would eventually render these high denominations nearly worthless. The 500 Marek, substantial at issue, became negligible within a few years.