2 zlotys

Among Polish banknotes of the interwar period there were some that entered circulation almost literally on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. One of them may have been a banknote with the face value of 5 zlotys, which according to some experts was introduced on 15 September 1934, but others claim that it was not until 15 August 1939. There is no doubt, however, that 2-zloty banknotes entered circulation on 26 August 1939, i.e., only five days before the start of hostilities. Despite such a late appearance on the market, the decision to print the 2-zloty banknotes was taken much earlier, as early as on 26 February 1936. According to the original assumptions, the 2-zloty banknotes were to constitute a reserve for the Treasury in case of a shortage of coins. Eventually, together with the withdrawn from circulation 10-zloty banknotes from the issues of 1926 and 1929 and the substitute money in the form of the state ticket with the face value of 1 zloty, they found their way to the market in a crisis to satisfy financial needs in connection with the inevitable war.

The two-zloty banknotes had a lot in common with the state tickets with the face value of 1 zloty. They were introduced into circulation on the same day, i.e., 26 August 1939, had similar dimensions and a subdued, rather modest graphic design. They had similar dimensions and a rather modest design, but their production often suffered from printing imperfections. In the case of the two-zloty banknotes, the series and number were missing or the banknotes were issued without pre-printing.

The author of the 2-zloty banknote was Zdzisław Eichler, a painter, graphic artist and illustrator from Greater Poland. He was also the designer of the afore-mentioned 10-zloty banknotes, issued on 20 July 1926 and again on 20 July 1929. As mentioned, the design of the two-zloty banknote was relatively modest. The main motif on the obverse was a portrait of Duchess Dąbrówka, a mirror image created by Jan Matejko. These banknotes were issued in an unknown edition. They were in circulation not only in the last days of independence, but also in the first months of occupation. The withdrawal from circulation was set for 20 May 1940, but the deadline was extended to 31 May of that year.

Leszek Poniewozik