Post Your New Polish Acquisitions

Rotate please. Very nice design, except I am not so fond of the colored part ...

Christian

 

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Actually I was just thinking I am not generally in favour of colourised coins etc - but the Polish mint actually does a very nice job on the coins they do - they are more works of art than coins IMHO.

I would like to get one of those Łódź(pronounced "Vwodzh") coins - reminds me much of a Ukrainian coin I have.

 

Yes, in memory of Lodz ghetto victims. Luster is gone due to "antique finish" (oxidation).

 

1980 Poland 100zl Jan Kochanowski

 

It doesn't appear that the Poles vary the design of their eagle at all - whenever it appears, it is always the same.

 

No. No. No!:w8v4:

 

Two types of an eagle.

 

Another two types.

 

Another two...

 

And more...

 

And so one...

 

Ah, sorry! I don't know this coinage. I was looking only at the earlier examples in the thread. Thanks for posting the others.

 

As far as I can tell (and I could be wrong here ...), today's Poland (the Rzeczpospolita Polska - Polish Republic since 1989) does indeed not change its eagle on coins. In the People's Republic and before, that was apparently different.

Christian

 

1840 Poland 1 Groszy

This coin is a brand new acquisition.
This coin is from Poland.
This coin has a different type of eagle.

I think this coin qualifies to be posted in this thread.

Thanks for letting me share. :thumb:

 

Ha, I just clicked "Like" for that coin in a different topic. Nice piece indeed! As for the eagle, well, this one is the Russian double headed eagle, and that sure is different from the Polish bird ...

Christian

 

It is the Russian two-headed eagle. A coin for an appeal in the Kingdom of Poland during the "Russian" period.

 

Poland does not vary the design of the eagle because it is a national symbol. It is what it is at a particular period in time. Designs are chosen and approved in legislation by the government. The current design was adopted in late 1920's, later arbitralily changed by the communists, including many wild and bastardized designs, eventually coming back to the official version in 1989. Most notable change forced by the communists was the removing of the crown from the eagle's head. Officially to relate better to the common man, in reality to stick it to the Polish ("you're your own country, buy we're really in charge now"-USSR). Changing the design of the eagle on coins is like changing the design of the Canadian maple leaf to suit one's personal artistic sensibilities. Negatory on that.

 

Different countries do this differently. In Germany for example the federal eagle is a national symbol too, and yet you find all kinds of variations (sometimes good, sometimes ... ah well) on the coins from the Federal Republic.

However, what the Polish central bank and mint do, when it comes to collector coins, is interesting too: In many cases the (non-modified) eagle covers a small portion of the coin only, thus giving room to the occasion specific design.

Christian

 

Below is a nice set of "replica" coins issued by the Polish Mint in 2006 in the design, size, and denominations for which the original Madeyski design was submitted.

The woman's head design was submitted for a competition in 1925 as the design for new gold pieces in denominations of 10, 20, 50, and 100 Zlotych. The design didn't see any use until 1932, and was used on silver coinage in 1932-34 (in modified form with legend text moved to the eagle side).

Even though the woman pictured is NOT that of Queen Jadwiga, this design has been referred to as that for many years. In truth, the depiction of the beautiful woman was titled “Polonia” (Poland in Latin, and the word used for the personification of Poland), and was meant to represent the idealized image of the Polish community. She was crowned with a wreath of clover, symbolic of happiness and prosperity, but also of the Holy Trinity and the contemporary Christian character of the Polish State. The sun’s rays were symbolic of triumph and glory, and a harbinger of further glory; whereas the ears of grain (wheat) emphasized the importance of agriculture to the national economy and a source of prosperity and abundance.

 

Wow! Fantastic coin.