The rarest Polish Bank bill in exile 1939-1945.
One of two denominations printed by the American Bank Note Company in the United States.
Series sourced from an archival pool.
The banknote bears a PMG certificate with a PMG 66 EPQ grade.
A prized denomination from the Bank in Exile period in specimen condition, as evidenced by the highest note in the PMG register.
On September 1, 1939, the Republic of Poland was attacked by German troops. Despite putting up resistance, the Polish army succumbed to the onslaught of Hitler's German army attacking simultaneously from the north, west and south. In addition, on September 17, Poland was attacked by Soviet troops occupying the eastern lands of the Republic. The Polish government did not sign the capitulation, evacuating to Romania where it was interned. Along with him, the authorities of the Bank of Poland left the country, taking with them gold, securities, assets, a stock of paper money and matrices for printing them. Saving Polish gold was important for the continuation of the Polish Bank's issuing activities.
The paper money, designed in France, was supplemented by denominations of 20 and 50 zlotys with a new design and an issue date of August 20, 1939. Their printing was ordered in New York in early August 1942. They were printed by the securities printer - American Bank Note Company.
The banknotes ordered in New York were created under the supervision of Zygmunt Karpinski, director of the Bank of Poland, who traveled to place the order. It was sent to the United States when it turned out that the London securities printers were unable to fulfill the entire order needed.
