Description and research notes
The 1 Zloty State Note issued by Bank Emisyjny w Polsce and dated Kraków, 1 August 1941, formed part of the second occupation-era monetary issue introduced for circulation within the General Government during the Second World War. It was the lowest denomination of the series and served as everyday transactional currency within the monetary system administered by Bank Emisyjny w Polsce.
The obverse presents the issuing authority, denomination, Kraków issue date, and printed signatures of President Feliks Młynarski and Deputy President Rudolf Jędrzejowski within a compact typographic composition. Geometric ornament, guilloche elements, and the seven-digit red serial number provide the principal visual and security features. This example carries the prefix and serial number BD3580426.
The reverse is centred on a large numeral 1 enclosed within a geometric framework. Oval denomination panels marked "ZŁ" flank the central value, while the inscriptions BANK EMISYJNY W POLSCE and JEDEN ZŁOTY complete the composition. The reverse was printed typographically in steel-grey and grey-green tones.
The paper incorporates watermark type 14, formed by a repeating geometric pattern of large light rectangular elements surrounded by smaller dark corner elements. The banknote was designed by Leonard Sowiński.
The BD prefix belongs to the Miłczak 99b variety. Miłczak identifies this variety as the Warsaw printing produced by Staatsdruckerei und Münze in the former facilities of Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych S.A. The plant, equipment, and established security-printing infrastructure of the former PWPW works continued to be used under the wartime administrative structure.
Banknotes issued by Bank Emisyjny w Polsce became collectively known in Poland as "Młynarki," a name derived from Bank President Feliks Młynarski. The term applies to the wider family of occupation-era issues produced under the authority of the bank.
The issue entered circulation in 1941 and remained valid until 10 January 1945, with final exchange permitted until 28 February 1945. No WZÓR examples of the 1941 1 Zloty issue are known.
This example preserves the issued design, complete BD3580426 numbering, watermark type 14, original paper, and printing characteristics of the Miłczak 99b Warsaw production.