Description and research notes
A WZÓR specimen banknote of the 10 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski as part of the post-denomination monetary reform. This specimen represents the lowest denomination of the new złoty series introduced to re-establish numerical continuity and monetary clarity following the redenomination of Polish currency.
The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the implementation of the new series. Within the WZÓR numbering structure, numbers below 010 were reserved exclusively for internal National Bank and printer use and were not released beyond administrative channels. Specimen number 010 constitutes the earliest externally distributed WZÓR tier.
This example bears the uniform specimen number 010, a feature shared across all denominations in the associated complete WZÓR set. WZÓR banknotes were produced and released individually by denomination and were never intended to exist as coordinated, matching-number series. The survival of this note with such an early specimen number places it among the most significant reference examples of the 1994 issue.
The obverse features a portrait of Prince Mieszko I, the first historical ruler of Poland, establishing the thematic foundation of the 1994 series: a chronological presentation of Polish statehood through sovereign figures. The reverse design incorporates symbolic and architectural elements associated with the formation of the Polish state, reflecting continuity between medieval origins and the modern republic.
As an object of record, this WZÓR 010 specimen documents the earliest externally visible stage of Poland’s modern banknote system. It functions not as a circulating note, but as a reference artifact preserving design, iconography, and numbering logic at the moment of the series’ introduction.