Good practice

Good practice in the reproduction of images of banknotes and coins

Good practice in the reproduction of images of banknotes and coins

Narodowy Bank Polski, as the exclusive issuer and owner of the copyright to the designs of banknotes and coins which are legal tender on the territory of the Republic of Poland, establishes the Good Practice regulating issues related to the use of images of Polish notes and coins which are legal tender in terms of their permissible use for commercial purposes.

The need to develop “Good Practice” and communicate this publicly is primarily due to instances recorded by NBP of improper use of the images of Polish money, undermining their authority and in conflict with their function as legal tender. “Good Practice” also aims to help interested parties to properly use the images of Polish notes and coins in accordance with the law.

Narodowy Bank Polski recognises that the reproduction of images of money through their printing, copying, scanning or any other form of reproduction in a manner contrary to these rules shall constitute a violation of “Good Practice”.

Taking into account the following principles will help minimize legal risks; however, Narodowy Bank Polski stresses that any decision in this respect shall be the responsibility of the relevant institutions or public authorities.

General principles

  1. Legal tender on the territory of the Republic of Poland are banknotes and coins put into circulation by the applicable Ordinance of the Governor of Narodowy Bank Polski.
  2. Only banknotes and coins corresponding to the conditions set out in the aforementioned Ordinance may be described as authentic Polish legal tender.
  3. The reproduction of a banknote or coin shall mean their copying – both material and immaterial, which uses the whole or part of the image of the banknote or coin, as well as part of the elements of their design – which may resemble or give the impression of an authentic banknote or coin, irrespective of the following:
  4. The reproduction of a banknote or coin consisting in the modification of the image by changing an existing element or adding new elements shall not be allowed, including, for example, the modification of the inscription of the denomination, the name of the issuer and country, the image of the eagle established as the state emblem of the Republic of Poland, and the image of the ruler.
  5. A one-sided reproduction of the image of the front or back of a banknote may be executed and used only after meeting at least one of the following conditions:
  6. A two-sided reproduction of the image of a banknote, in the case of the absence of any markings on it that would allow an unambiguous assessment that we are dealing with an object that is not an authentic banknote, is possible only when at least two of the following conditions are met simultaneously:
  7. The reproduction of a fragment of the front or back side of a banknote is possible only when the following conditions are met simultaneously:
  8. The reproduction of the whole image of a banknote published on a website or used in multimedia presentations or other electronic media may be executed only when the resolution of the electronic reproduction shall not exceed 72 dpi, and the image shall bear an opaque inscription “WZÓR” or “SPECIMEN” or an inscription “REPRODUKCJA” written in Arial font or a similar font to Arial in a contrasting colour, placed diagonally, with a length no shorter than 75% of the length of the reproduction and a height no shorter than 15% of the height of the reproduction.
  9. The reproduction of a fragment of the image of a banknote published on a website or used in multimedia presentations or other electronic media may be executed only when the resolution of the electronic reproduction shall not exceed 72 dpi, and fulfils the requirements set out in point 7.
  10. Reproductions of images of banknotes cannot be used in the following cases:
    1. for use in advertisements, promotions or other dissemination of stimulants or substances whose excessive consumption may threaten health or life;
    2. in a way that suggests their destruction, among others, by crumpling, perforating, tearing, cutting or burning;
    3. in a way that presents them being folded into various figures or shapes;
    4. in another way not related to the context of their function as legal tender (including as decoration, background, etc.).

Reproduction of images of coins

11. Reproductions of images of coins:

  1. cannot be used for the purpose of advertising, promotions or other dissemination of stimulants or substances whose excessive consumption may threaten health or life;
  2. must faithfully reflect the image and proportions of an authentic coin and without distortions or changes – when the reproduction is in the form of prints, drawings, images or photographs;
  3. must be 25% greater or smaller than the authentic coin – when they are placed on tokens or medals made from materials such as paper, wood or plastic.

12. The reproduction of a coin cannot consist in placing the image on a disc made of the metal from which authentic coins are made or of a metal with a similar colour or similar electromagnetic properties and with technical parameters such as mass and dimensions the same or similar to the parameters of the authentic coin.

See also

Banknotes issued by NBP
Coins issued by the NBP
Banknotes and coins