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Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Specimen with Red Overprint and Oval Stamp (Pick Unlisted)

1994 • Specimen with Red Overprint and Oval Stamp • 50 Zlotych • PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated • Held

PRIVATE COLLECTION

Poland 1994 50 Zlotych discovery AR prefix specimen with red SPECIMEN overprint, red oval NO VALUE stamps, punch cancellations, serial AR0000000, De La Rue specimen-control number 005, and Thomas De La Rue specimen tracking panel.
Poland 1994 50 Zlotych discovery AR prefix specimen with red SPECIMEN overprint, red oval NO VALUE stamps, punch cancellations, serial AR0000000, De La Rue specimen-control number 005, and Thomas De La Rue specimen tracking panel.

At a glance

  • Country: Poland
  • Year: 1994
  • Denomination: 50 Zlotych
  • Type: Specimen with Red Overprint and Oval Stamp
  • Grade: PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated
  • Status: Held
  • Tags: Specimen; Discovery AR Prefix; Discovery Prefix; Discovery Material; Production-Stage Discovery; Red Overprint; Red SPECIMEN Overprint; Oval NO VALUE Stamp; Punch Cancelled; Specimen Tracking Panel; De La Rue Specimen Control Number 005; Specimen Control Number 005; Control Number 005; Unique Specimen Control Number; AR Prefix; Serial AR0000000; Zero Serial Number; Thomas De La Rue; TDLR; Milczak Unlisted; Pick Unlisted; Milczak Unlisted AR Prefix; Previously Undocumented AR Prefix; AR Prefix Specimen Evidence; Physical Specimen Control Form; Poland Currency Redesign 1994; National Bank of Poland; Narodowy Bank Polski; Modern Polish Banknotes; Security Printing History; Specimen Control Procedures; Pre Issue Control Note; Printer Control Material; Final Issued-Style Design; King Casimir III the Great; Kazimierz Wielki; Andrzej Heidrich; Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz; Wieslaw Biernatowicz; Poland; Poland 1994; 1994; 50 Zlotych; PMG 66 EPQ; Museum Grade; R9 Extremely Rare; Unique

Description and research notes

Discovery AR-prefix red-overprint specimen of the 50 Zlotych banknote from the 1994 Polish issue, bearing serial number AR0000000. The note carries a red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint, paired red oval NO VALUE stamps, round punch cancellations, and De La Rue specimen-control number 005. This AR-prefix form is unrecorded in Milczak and Pick and belongs to the same discovery-level production group as the related AR approval specimen.

The face preserves the complete final design prepared for the National Bank of Poland, with the portrait of King Casimir III the Great, the Polish eagle, vertical PIĘĆDZIESIĄT ZŁOTYCH denomination text, large 50 value device, National Bank of Poland title, Warsaw date of 25 March 1994, and printed signatures of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Wieslaw Biernatowicz.

Serial AR0000000 is the principal prefix diagnostic. The all-zero numbering identifies the note as specimen material, while the AR prefix places it within a previously undocumented control group for the 1994 50 Zlotych issue. The red specimen markings and punch cancellations establish its controlled non-circulating status while preserving the complete production design.

The lower tracking panel carries De La Rue specimen-control number 005, linking the note to the printer's internal specimen-control system. Together with the AR prefix and zero serial, it provides a clear production identity for this specific specimen form.

Produced by Thomas De La Rue in London for the National Bank of Poland, the note uses Andrzej Heidrich's final 1994 design with layered guilloche fields, Gothic ornamental structure, detailed value panels, and the King Casimir III the Great watermark.

This AR-prefix red-overprint specimen is a direct production artifact from the creation of Poland's 1994 banknote issue. Its importance lies in documenting a previously unrecorded specimen form through a complete surviving note with identifiable prefix, control number, printer markings, and final production design.

Related examples in this collection

Poland 1994 50 Zlotych discovery AR prefix approval specimen without overprints, serial AR0000000, red vertical control numbering, final issued-style design, and Thomas De La Rue production origin.
Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Approval Specimen Without Overprints (Pick Unlisted)
The face preserves the complete 50 Zlotych design prepared for the National Bank of Poland, with the portrait of King Casimir III the Great, the Polish eagle, the denomination PIĘĆDZIESIĄT ZŁOTYCH, the large 50 value device at left, the National Bank of Poland title, and the Warsaw date of 25 March 1994. The printed signatures are those of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, President of the National Bank of Poland, and Wieslaw Biernatowicz, Chief Treasurer.
Poland 1994 50 Zlotych discovery AR prefix specimen perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE, serial AR0000000, with handwritten archive date 30.4.96, printer annotations, and Thomas De La Rue production origin.
Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Specimen Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE (Pick Unlisted)
The face preserves the complete 50 Zlotych design prepared for the National Bank of Poland, with the portrait of King Casimir III the Great, the Polish eagle, the denomination PIĘĆDZIESIĄT ZŁOTYCH, the large 50 value device at left, the National Bank of Poland title, the Warsaw date of 25 March 1994, and the printed signatures of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Wieslaw Biernatowicz.
Poland 1994 50 Zlotych rare London print C-prefix issued note, serial CH9769411, cataloged as Pick 175a and Milczak 198A, printed by Thomas De La Rue London for Narodowy Bank Polski, depicting King Kazimierz III Wielki with modern post-redenomination security design
Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Rare London Print C-Prefix Note, CH9769411, Milczak 198A
Its principal significance lies in the CH prefix. Within the 1994 series, the 50 Zlotych is the only denomination whose London-printed serial sequence advanced into the C-prefix range. The London runs of the 10 Zlotych, 20 Zlotych, 100 Zlotych, and 200 Zlotych ended within the A or B ranges, while later domestic production by PWPW in Warsaw began with D prefixes. The partial C-prefix sequence therefore forms a distinct production interval found only on the London-printed 50 Zlotych.
Poland 1994 50 zlotych WZÓR specimen number 010 issued by Narodowy Bank Polski, featuring King Casimir III the Great and red WZÓR overprint
Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 175s)
A WZÓR specimen banknote of the 50 Zlotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, prepared for the National Bank of Poland. The note bears serial number AA0000000 and the very low Polish specimen designation WZÓR No. 010.
Poland 1936 50 Zlotych Progressive Proof reverse, Pick 78pp2, PMG 66 EPQ Top Pop
Poland 1936 - 50 Zlotych Reverse Progressive Proof (Pick 78pp2)
Progressive proofs are seldom encountered outside official archives. They were never intended for collectors, and their survival provides a rare, forensic view of how the Bank Polski and PWPW approached design refinement during Poland’s 1930s modernization campaign. Together with the finished Dąbrowski note, this proof completes the narrative - from concept to currency, from artistic ideal to national symbol. It stands today as a pristine artifact of Poland’s pre-war technical ingenuity and aesthetic ambition.

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Poland 1994 Specimen Discovery AR Prefix Discovery Prefix Discovery Material Production-Stage Discovery Red Overprint Red SPECIMEN Overprint Oval NO VALUE Stamp Punch Cancelled Specimen Tracking Panel De La Rue Specimen Control Number 005 Specimen Control Number 005 Control Number 005 Unique Specimen Control Number AR Prefix Serial AR0000000 Zero Serial Number Thomas De La Rue TDLR Milczak Unlisted Pick Unlisted Milczak Unlisted AR Prefix Previously Undocumented AR Prefix AR Prefix Specimen Evidence Physical Specimen Control Form Poland Currency Redesign 1994 National Bank of Poland Narodowy Bank Polski Modern Polish Banknotes Security Printing History Specimen Control Procedures Pre Issue Control Note Printer Control Material Final Issued-Style Design King Casimir III the Great Kazimierz Wielki Andrzej Heidrich Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz Wieslaw Biernatowicz Poland 1994 50 Zlotych PMG 66 EPQ Museum Grade R9 Extremely Rare Unique

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