Description and research notes
Striking example of a 1940 Poland 10 Złotych contemporary counterfeit, catalogued as Pick 94x and certified PMG 55 About Uncirculated. Produced clandestinely during the German occupation, this note replicates the official Bank Emisyjny design but lacks serial numbers and issue letters - clear hallmarks of underground production.
A bold purple 'WERTLOS' (worthless) overprint was applied across the face, likely as an official or resistance-era cancellation after discovery. Printed on correct paper bearing the Zigzag Lines watermark, it exhibits wide left margins typical of sheet-fed counterfeit runs.
While many forgeries were crude, this example shows refined guilloché and engraving quality approaching official work, illustrating the skill level of wartime forgers operating under extreme conditions. Such notes were used both for subversion and emergency financing, adding a layer of historical intrigue.
Referenced in Miłczak 94 and absent from the Lucow collection, it remains a rare survivor from the shadow economy of occupied Poland.
