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| Poland 20 Zloty |
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| Polish paper money |
Polish banknotes 20 Zlotych note 1994, issued by the NBP
National Bank of Poland - Narodowy Bank Polski
Polish złoty, Polish banknotes, Poland banknotes, Polish bank notes, Polish paper money, Poland bank notes, Poland paper money.Front design: Portrait of King Boleslaus I the Brave - Bolesław I Chrobry in centre area, with inscription, "BOLESLAUS I CHROBRY", in decorative medallion. Left of portrait - at top, inscription, "NARODOWY BANK POLSKI"; below that - depiction of eagle, emblem of Polish Republic; below that - inscription, "WARSZAWA 25 MARCA 1994 r."; below that - inscription, "PREZES", and signature; below that - inscription, "GLOWNY SKARBNIK", and signature. In background of inscriptions and emblem - outline of Romanesque portal, with bricks above. On left-hand side of note, in area of watermark - composition of guilloche lines. In top left-hand corner, arranged vertically - number "20", with line underneath and inscription below, "DWADZIESCIA ZLOTYCH". In bottom left-hand corner - marking for the visually impaired, consisting of circle with raised edge. Right-hand side of note contains two separate fields, upper and lower. Upper field bears number "20", with drawing of crown in oval below and four "20"s around crown, and stylised drawing of oak underneath. Numerical denomination of note in top left-hand corner, line below that, marking for the visually impaired, and upper and lower right-hand fields are all filled with white ornamentation. Background of front of note consists of guilloche mesh with intersecting lines of light violet, light pink, orange, olive green and beige.
Back design: Depiction of denar, silver coin from reign of Boleslaus I the Brave, in centre area. At top, against ribbon background - inscription, "NARODOWY BANK POLSKI". Below denar - rectangular field of ornamentation bearing number "20" to left and inscription, "DWADZIESCIA ZLOTYCH", to right. To left of denar - drawing of rotunda, with crown in oval above and four "20"s around crown. To right of denar - drawing of lion rampant on floral osier, with legend below, "BANKNOTY EMITOWANE PRZEZ NARODOWY BANK POLSKI SA PRAWNYM SRODKIEM PLATNICZYM W POLSCE". In background of crown and rotunda, and also of lion and legend - composition of guilloche lines making up repeated number "20". On right-hand side of note, at top, above guilloche ribbon - number "20" filled with white ornamentation. In bottom right-hand corner - initials "NBP". In area of watermark - composition of guilloche lines.
Watermark: Portrait of King Boleslaus I the Brave
Polish złoty banknotes, "Sovereigns of Poland", (1994)
In 1995, notes were introduced in denominations of 10 złoty, 20 złoty, 50 złoty, 100 złoty and 200 złotych.
Bolesław I Chrobry (Bolesław I "the Valiant" or the Brave) (Czech: Boleslav Chrabrý) (967 – 17 June 1025), in the past also known as Bolesław I the Great (Wielki), was a Duke of Poland from 992–1025 and the first King of Poland from 18 April 1025 until his death. He also ruled as Boleslav IV, Duke of Bohemia from 1002 to 1003.
He was the firstborn son of Mieszko I by his Czech first wife, Dobrawa, daughter of Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke of Bohemia. He was named after his maternal grandfather.
Bolesław I was a remarkable politician, strategist, and statesman. He turned Poland into a country that was not only comparable to older western monarchies, but also elevated it into the European elite. Bolesław conducted successful military campaigns in the west, south and east. He consolidated the Polish lands and conquered territories outside of modern borders of Poland such as Slovakia, Moravia, Red Ruthenia, Meissen and Lusatia as well as Bohemia. He was a powerful mediator in Central European affairs.
Bolesław was an ally of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III who may have crowned him rex. Following the death of Otto III in 1002, he carried out a series of successful wars against the Holy Roman Empire and Otto III's cousin and heir Henry II, ending with the Peace of Bautzen in 1018. In the summer of 1018, in one of his most famous expeditions, Bolesław captured Kiev, where, according to legend, he notched his sword when hitting Kiev's Golden Gate. Later a sword called Szczerbiec ("Notched Sword") would become the ceremonial sword used at the coronation of Poland's kings.
Bolesław also managed to establish a Polish church structure with a Metropolitan See at Gniezno, independent of the German Archbishopric of Magdeburg, which had tried to lay claim to Polish areas. During the famous Congress of Gniezno he officially freed himself of tribute to the Holy Roman Empire and finally, at the peak of his reign, he had himself crowned as King, the first Polish ruler to do so.
He was an able administrator; he established the so-called "Prince's law" and built many forts, churches, monasteries and bridges. Bolesław established the first Polish monetary system, of a grzywna divided into 240 denarii, and minted his own coinage. He is widely considered one of the most capable and accomplished of the Piast rulers.