Description and research notes
A complete five-denomination WZÓR specimen set from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. The set comprises all denominations of the series — 10 złotych, 20 złotych, 50 złotych, 100 złotych, and 200 złotych — preserved together with the same official WZÓR specimen number 010.
The WZÓR designation identifies non-circulating specimen banknotes prepared for approval, demonstration, and institutional reference during the rollout of the new złoty. Within the WZÓR numbering structure, numbers below 010 were reserved for strictly internal use and were not distributed beyond National Bank or printer-controlled channels. Specimen number 010 represents the first externally released WZÓR numbering tier.
What distinguishes this set is the survival of all five denominations bearing the identical specimen number. WZÓR notes were issued and distributed individually by denomination and were never intended to exist as complete, matching-number sets. While individual low-number WZÓR specimens are already rare, the preservation of the entire denomination range with the same early specimen number is undocumented elsewhere.
The banknotes are housed in an original Narodowy Bank Polski presentation folder, with each note mounted on a separate page. The pages are fitted with high-quality transparent protective sleeves, superior to those used in earlier National Bank specimen packages, indicating a presentation or reference function rather than a commercial collector product.
As a set-level object, this ensemble documents the earliest externally released specimen state of Poland’s 1994 banknote reform and preserves the full structure of the series at its point of introduction. Based on observable evidence and known distribution practices, this complete WZÓR 010 set is classified as R9 — Unique.