Banknotes issued by NBP

Banknotes and coins denominated in złoty and grosz issued by Narodowy Bank Polski are legal tender on the territory of the Republic of Poland | Value | The key rules to check banknotes for authenticity

Banknotes and coins denominated in złoty and grosz issued by Narodowy Bank Polski are legal tender on the territory of the Republic of Poland | Value | The key rules to check banknotes for authenticity

Pursuant to Art. 31-33 of the Act of 29 August 1997 on Narodowy Bank Polski, banknotes and coins denominated in złoty and grosz issued by Narodowy Bank Polski are legal tender on the territory of the Republic of Poland. The design and nominal value of banknotes, the design, nominal values, the alloy, finesse and weight of coins, as well as their volume of issue and dates for putting them into circulation are determined by the Governor of NBP by means of an ordinance.

Narodowy Bank Polski issues circulation banknotes with the nominal values of:

  • 10 złoty
  • 20 złoty
  • 50 złoty
  • 100 złoty
  • 200 złoty
  • 500 złoty

On 1 January 1995 pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 1994, item 575) the first banknotes of the “Polish rulers” series were introduced into circulation, with the face values of 10, 20 and 50 złoty.

On 1 June 1995 pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 1995 item 306) two other new banknotes were introduced, with the nominal values of 100 and 200 złoty.

Since 10 February 2017, pursuant to the ordinance of the governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 2016, item 1198), there has been a banknote of 500 złoty in circulation.

On 7 April 2014, pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 2014, item 240) banknotes with the nominal values of 10, 20, 50 and 100 złoty with modernized security features were introduced into circulation, while on 12 February 2016 pursuant to the ordinance of Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 2016, item 90) the 200 złoty banknote was introduced.

Successively since 2017, Narodowy Bank Polski has been putting into circulation banknotes covered with a protective layer increasing banknote durability. A banknote with a nominal value of 10 złoty was introduced into circulation on 27 February 2017 pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 2016, item 1194), one with a nominal value of 20 złoty on 20 January 2017 pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of  2016, item 1194), one with a nominal value of 50 złoty on 16 July 2018 pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 2018, item 656) and one with a nominal value of 100 złoty on 31 May 2019 pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 2019, item 437).

On 7 August 2017, pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 2017, item 252) the banknote with a 500 złoty denomination was put into circulation.

On 3 January 2022, pursuant to the ordinance of the Governor of NBP (M.P. [Official Gazette] of 2021, item 1156) the banknote with a 200 złoty denomination was put into circulation. All banknotes put into circulation since 1 January 1995 remain legal tender and circulate in parallel.

Select value

Banknotes put into circulation since 1 January 1995

The key rules to check banknotes for authenticity

  1. Get familiar with the security features of the banknotes.
  2. Always check the banknotes you receive for authenticity.
  3. When verifying banknotes, take four simple steps: feel, look, tilt and check. */
  4. Check not just one, but a few security features.
  5. Exercise extra caution if the banknote is worn or damaged.
  6. When in doubt, compare the banknote with another which is certain to be genuine.
  7. If necessary, call at the nearest bank to authenticate the banknote.
  8. Make sure not to put into circulation any counterfeit banknotes or coins.

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Feel – easy to feel steel engraved elements of the graphic layout, such as the value numerals, the portrait of the sovereign, the emblem of the Republic of Poland, the signatures of the Governor of NBP and NBP General Treasurer, the marking for the visually impaired,
Look – security features visible when the banknote is held against the light, such as the watermark, the security thread, the recto-verso (a see-through register),
Tilt – security features visible when tilting the banknote, such as the latent image (angle effect), optically variable ink, iridescent ink, metallic ink, the hologram and gold ink,
Check – security features requiring additional equipment, e.g. a magnifying glass or a UV lamp, to be detected, such as microlettering and features visible during exposure to UV lighting.

See also