Description and research notes
The 1 Zloty specimen dated 15 May 1946 belongs to the first post-war currency series issued by Narodowy Bank Polski following the establishment of Poland's new monetary system after the Second World War. Prepared as an official specimen, it documents the final approved design and security features of the denomination before distribution for institutional reference and archival purposes.
The note carries a red SPECIMEN overprint across both sides together with red diagonal cancellation lines extending from corner to corner. These permanent markings identified the note as a specimen and prevented its use as circulating currency. Like the issued note, it was produced without a serial number or prefix. The paper incorporates a multi-tone watermark composed of repeating light and dark triangles across the full surface.
The obverse centres the written denomination within an ornate guilloche rosette surrounded by geometric ornamentation and the issuing clause of Narodowy Bank Polski. Printed signatures of President Edward Drożniak, Managing Director Witold Trąmpczyński, and Treasurer Karol Pustówka appear below the central design. The reverse presents a matching guilloche composition with both the numeric and written denomination executed in amaranth typographic printing.
Designed by Ryszard Kleczewski and printed by the Polish Security Printing Works in Łódź, the specimen preserves the production standard adopted for the 1946 issue while recording the security markings applied specifically to official specimen material. Such notes served as reference examples for banks, government institutions, archives, and authorized organizations responsible for handling and identifying genuine currency.
This collection example preserves the complete specimen overprint, diagonal cancellation lines, original paper quality, and sharply defined printing, providing a well-preserved record of the official specimen prepared for the first post-war issue of Narodowy Bank Polski.