Description and research notes
The 1000 złotych of the 1919 reform series, printed by Waterlow & Sons in London, is one of the largest and most ornate denominations prepared for the new złoty. Intended as part of the first złoty issue of the Second Republic, it was never officially released into circulation in 1924 due to its very high value. Some researchers suggest that a portion of the stock may have been used informally during the September Campaign of 1939 to pay Polish military officers, though no formal documentation confirms this.
The note’s design is a tour de force of neobaroque ornamentation: elaborate guilloches, scrolling acanthus motifs, and a commanding layout that conveyed prestige. Like the smaller denominations, it features Tadeusz Kościuszko on the obverse, reinforcing his role as the symbolic figurehead of the 1919 series. Measuring 181 × 111 mm, it impresses with both scale and detail, and its watermark also carries Kościuszko’s likeness as a security device.
Though technically an unissued type, the 1000 złotych is one of the most coveted of the 1919 notes. Survivors are few, and most show heavy folds or restoration. This example, graded PMG 63 EPQ, is a choice survivor combining originality, vibrant inks, and paper integrity — a rare high-grade representative of Poland’s monumental early złoty design and a cornerstone of any serious interwar collection.