Show us your Polish goodies!!

1jester

There are some other fascinating country-specific threads here, so I thought why not have one for Polish coins? Show us what you've got (and explain a bit about them if you can)!

Here's one of my favorites: 1831 ducat, produced during the November Revolution against Russia. I only have the ducat, but they also managed to produce a whole set of denominations before the Russians quelled the uprising early in 1831. Still, a gallant attempt at freeing Poland, and the coins are here to prove it.

1jester

Don't tell me nobody else has ANY Polish coins?! Here's what I think of that:




During the tough post-WWI times, the manufacture of various "Notgeld" tokens was instituted in many regions due to lack of circulating coinage. This is one scarce one from my collection, a 50 Grosz brass token from 1918 or 1919.

Now the floor is all yours!

spoon

We're just trying to get you to post more of your stuff! The younger generation of members have probably grown up not knowing what the Jester's Challenge was



Here's a cheapo trojak from Sigismund III:



I've still gotta get a coin from Sigismund August with the long beard.. that's one of my favorite medieval portraits...

Omega

<< <i>Show us your Polish goodies!! >>



That phrase would have gotten my face slapped in High School!

Can anyone tell me what coinage was in circulation in Eastern Poland (Kielce area) around 1913?

secondrepublic

Great thread!

I have a few pretty interesting Polish patterns from the pre-war period:




This first one is an unlisted bronze pattern for 50 groszy. It's probably 1919, based on another pattern that uses the same unique obverse which is listed in the catalogs. The story on this, as Karl Stephens relayed it to me, is that it was minted in England at Kings Norton and uses a "stock" English horse-and-rider obverse which doesn't appear to have anything to do with Poland. After Kings North was acquired by the Birmingham mint, it stayed in their "record collection" until the mint went out of business around 2003. It's a very neat piece.



This is another of my favorites, a pattern 100 zlotych from 1925. About the same width as a U.S. nickel, but the largest denomination coin (pattern or otherwise) from the interwar years. This is the small version of the coin; there is also in existence a large-diameter pattern of this coin which was planned to be struck in gold. The design is just fantastic, especially the stylistic eagle, and the interesting rendering of Copernicus on the reverse.

theboz11

1965 10 Zloty

mojorizn

You're not fooling me! You just want to see a picture of my wife.

Mojo

DorkGirl

ormandh

Here are a coupla huge medals I have. I actually have two sets if anyone is interested in one of them.

harasha

Not my best attempt at imaging, but here is the Sobieski 10 Zlotych:



I picked up this battered, but interesting piece from Allen Berman, a few years ago.

theboz11

coinkat

I regret to say that I have sold my Polish goodies to pay for other things...

1jester

Thanks for the wonderful coins, folks! I knew you could do it!

Spoon, I too regret the passing of the Jester's Challenge series; it was a lot of fun. You never know, however; I might just restart it at some point in the future, depending on how little time my two sons allow me.

Omega - But wouldn't it be worth the risk?! Kielce is not exactly in Eastern Poland, but rather in south-west-central Poland. In 1913, it would have been at the end of Austrian reign in that region, so I assume Austrian coins would have been used. I really don't know much about what circulated there, but no doubt someone wiser than myself will pop in with the answer.

2ndgen, those are some awesome patterns!! Thanks for sharing. Did they come from WCN?

Boz, that is a beautiful example of the 700 year anniversary of Warsaw. The mascot of Warsaw, the fighting Mermaid, depicted on this coin is a statue near the old town.

Mojo, while I can't deny my intentions, pictures are always welcome!!

Becky, that's a fantastic group of circulating coins you've got there!! I almost forgot...

Ormandh, I've never seen those medals before. How large are they, and what's the composition? Where were they minted? They are really nice artwork, and plus I like the main theme and various symbols.

Harasha, a nice commemorative 10 zl coin, and that medal I've seen somewhere before on this forum. It's nice! In fact, it brings tears to my eyes. Dated 1831, it commemorates the same event that my first coin, the ducat, represents - the November Revolution. "To the Polish heroism...you will not perish"

Boz, that's a nice classic coin you've got there...and in the spirit of the thread, since it was minted under German-ruled Danzig, I implore you to rid yourself of its evil presence, and at the same time, I will be the first to throw my name in the hat for this most generous of giveaways!!!!

Omega

Kielce is in SE Poland unless you are using Warsaw as the center of Poland (as my Grandmother would!)

ormandh

I am not sure where they were minted. They are 64 mm and 82 g. each.

Stork

See if these OLD pictures still work, my old icon--a 1971 FAO proba



edited to add the pictures..


Scans! Must be about 5 years old (I only used that in Japan and we left in 2004)

1jester

<< <i>Kielce is in SE Poland unless you are using Warsaw as the center of Poland (as my Grandmother would!) >>



Well, I stand corrected. It just seems that Kielce is southwest, since all roads lead to Warsaw (the true center of Poland)... LOL I was thinking of Katowice, not Kielce, and that is still south, not southwest.

Omega

Darn Geography degree comes in handy occasionally!

I am trying to find out what coins were in circulation as I want to collect a coin from each of my immigrant ancestors country the year they emigrated as well as a US coin the year of immigration.

laurentyvan

Good to see you on the forum my friend! Visit more often...ok?

Here's one I wish I hadn't sold but was well recompensed for:
Danzig, Free City-became a free city with the help of Napoleon, but was incorporated into Prussia shortly after the outbreak of WWII in 1939 and then regained its freedom after the unpleasantness.

theboz11

Jester, Since I had to sell my soul to get this coin,,,I could only give it away to someone who had retrieved my soul.

Kurt4

Not the best photo, but it'll do.

DorkGirl

I've been waiting for you to post your avatar Kurt4. I finally found some examples for my collection, but they are only xfs. That is one of my favorite coin designs...

cacheman

Kurt4

Here you go Becky. I don't have any really good images though. I still need to buy a digital camera. Heck, I just got an mp3 player last month, so I'm a little slow with technology. --Kurt

Hussulo

I haven't any to post I'm afraid, but I am enjoying all your lovely coins. There are some beautiful designs.

Hussulo

cacheman

Kurt4

Secondrepublic has a beauty on his website. Here's the link.

Linky


Edited to add: That website has a bunch of beautiful coins and is a wonderful resource. Thanks SR.

JimK

This medal Commemorates Jan Sobieski III and the Battle of Vienna- which was huge historically, and the scene of the largest Cavalry charge in history if I'm not mistaken. This medal is about the size of a hockey puck...

oldshep

How could I not join in - keeping with my theme collection:



shep

1jester

Laurent, thank you, mon ami! I hear you and will try to be here more often.

Kurt, those are some nice lady's head silvers!!

Jim, nice medal! Warsaw has minted so many fabulous medals over the years it's virtually impossible to keep up. Their medal-minting legacy is legendary, and even more prolific than their stunningly beautiful numismatic issues (tons of patterns over the decades).

Shep, thanks for sharing some ships! Nice!

Here are two examples of uncirculated shillings from 1761, produced in Torun. The first still has some mint luster and hints of red; the second has a really old layer of something on it (talk about crust!):