Collection
AboutFour Known Types of 1994 Polish Specimens
The 1994 Polish specimen program documents each step of the new złoty’s creation by Thomas De La Rue in London and PWPW S.A. in Warsaw—from design approval to official release and archival retention. Every form was printed from live production plates and shared the same prefix and numbering system. Designed by Andrzej Heidrich, engraved by Jim Moore (TDLR) and Wiesław Biernatowicz, the series dated 25 March 1994 (in circulation from 1 January 1995) featured a multitone watermark of King Kazimierz III Wielki and a blue-green to violet color scheme reflecting Poland’s economic renewal.
Production began with the unmarked Wzór akceptacyjny bez nadruków (Wc)—a fully printed, signed approval specimen identical to circulation notes but without any overprints or perforations. Once approved, two marked types followed: the Polish Wzór z nadrukiem WZÓR (Wa), prepared by PWPW for domestic reference, and the London De La Rue Specimen carrying red SPECIMEN diagonals and NO VALUE ovals (Wb), distributed internationally. The final archival form was the perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE (Wd), permanently cancelled for reference and security control.
Fully printed approval specimen — serials and signatures, no overprint or perforation
Red WZÓR overprint on front — Polish domestic reference issue (PWPW)
Red SPECIMEN overprint and NO VALUE stamps — London De La Rue international issue
SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE perforation — archival reference copy
The AA prefix (100 zł) forms the foundation of the 1994 specimen record, illustrating all four distinct types from approval to archival cancellation. Miłczak’s 2023 catalog notes only the first three (Wc–Wb) and omits the perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE variety — a key stage that completes the technical chronology for the first time.
Later prefixes confirm that De La Rue and PWPW replicated this full four-step sequence across additional runs. The AP prefix series shown below from the same 100 zł denomination verifies that identical approval–distribution–archive procedures extended to subsequent batches. Other prefixes — AF, AR, BQ, BS, and more — follow the same framework, though none have appeared in printed references to date. All are recorded here from verified De La Rue production material documented by 1994.pl.
AP prefix — fully printed approval specimen, no overprint or perforation
AP prefix — red SPECIMEN overprint and NO VALUE stamps (De La Rue London)
AP prefix — SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE perforation, archival control copy
The AP prefix examples serve as a representative extension of the 1994 workflow. Their presence confirms that De La Rue and PWPW applied the same four-type sequence beyond the initial AA run. Other prefixes such as AF, AR, BQ, BS (and additional batches) exhibit the identical approval–distribution–archive pattern. None have yet appeared in printed references; they are recorded here directly from surviving production material held and documented by 1994.pl.
Together, the AA and AP examples present the 1994 issue as a unified project — one that bridged Polish domestic production with De La Rue’s international specimen standards. This record does not challenge earlier publications; it completes them with firsthand evidence.
Prefixes Recorded
All known specimen prefixes identified from surviving De La Rue material documented by 1994.pl:
AA · AC · AF · AL · AP · AR · AS · AX · AY · AZ · BB · BE · BK · BQ · BS
barebone — shorthand introduced by 1994.pl (2025) for the unmarked approval specimen (Wzór akceptacyjny bez nadruków): fully printed, signed, and numbered, but without overprints, stamps, or perforations.