“Mikołaj Kopernik” Best New Commemorative Banknote

The collector banknote “Mikołaj Kopernik” received a prestigious award in The Regional Banknote and ID Document of the Year Awards competition in the Best New Commemorative Banknote category. The award was granted at the High Security Printing conference in Sofia in recognition of the design reflecting the cultural heritage of the issuing country as well as the technical sophistication and security features of the banknote.

The 20 złoty banknote “Mikołaj Kopernik” was introduced into circulation on 9 February 2023 to commemorate the 550th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus an outstanding astronomer, physician, and economist. It was printed on polymer substrate. The banknote features elements related to the life and work of Nicolaus Copernicus. On the front side, there is a portrait of the astronomer, known as the “Toruń portrait”. On the back side, coins from the time of Copernicus are depicted, while the background features an image of the Castle of the Warmian Cathedral Chapter in Olsztyn. The banknote has one of the most advanced security features in the world: an optical security feature with a motion and depth effect as well as a 3D image, presenting the heliocentric system, placed in the lower left corner.

This is yet another award for NBP’s collector banknote. In 2021, the banknote featuring Lech Kaczyński was recognised as the best collector banknote of the year by Reconnaissance International during the High Security Printing EMEA gala in Tallinn.