Description and research notes
This AR-prefix specimen is a fully printed presentation example of the 50 zlotych banknote from Poland’s 1994 series, prepared by Thomas De La Rue for controlled institutional use. The note preserves the complete production design corresponding to the issued banknote and carries serial number AR0000000 together with the official signatures of the National Bank of Poland.
A bold red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint spans the face of the note and is accompanied by two red oval NO VALUE stamps applied in the standard De La Rue format. Two round punch holes are positioned in the signature area, and a printed tracking panel along the lower margin records internal specimen control numbering. These markings permanently removed the note from monetary circulation while leaving the underlying design fully intact.
The design reflects Andrzej Heidrich’s approved artwork, featuring the portrait of King Casimir III the Great, Gothic ornamental frameworks, and architectural motifs associated with Kraków. Intaglio printing in blue-green and indigo tones is executed to full production standard, with the multitone watermark portrait remaining clearly visible in the unprinted field.
Specimens of this form are documented in the catalog literature only for the AA prefix. The AR-prefix configuration is not recorded in either the Miłczak catalog or the Pick Standard Catalog. Its absence from published references reflects an undocumented prefix variant rather than a provisional or transitional form.
The present banknote records the existence of a fully realized red-overprint specimen prepared under the AR prefix for presentation and reference purposes within the framework of the 1994 issue.