Money

The polish ZŁOTY (zł / PLN) – the polish monetary unit which came into existence around the year 1500, was made of silver and was upon par with a golden ducat. Since 1924 the Złoty (1zł = 100 groszy) has been the fundamental monetary unit of Poland.

In 1995 a devaluation was carried out on the bank notes and coins, in order to „to strike out four zeros“, which in effect carried out a devaluation of the currency and normalized the liquidity of the Złoty and helped develop it on the money-market. This had the effect of raising it’s status and making it more of an interchangeable monetary unit up to international standard.

The Polish National Bank is the central bank of the Republic of Poland, and works toward increasing the stability of the national monetary unit. The Bank operates and realizes the strategy of the money policy on an annual basis. The primary aim of the PNB is to facilitate a stable money policy.

The coins, which are distributed by the Polish National Bank, are divided in two groups. The first group are coins which are distributed in large quantities and circulate publicly, with a fixed nominal value. The second group are coins for collectors which are produced in small limited quantities. These coins are intended to be used by local and the foreign collectors.

The money to this day – issue-date: March 25, 1994

Coins: 1gr, 2gr, 5gr, 10gr, 20gr, 50gr, 1zł, 2zł, 5zł

Polish bank-notes have a nominal value of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Złoty. All the bank-notes have portraits of former Polish rulers and have special signs for visually impaired people. Moreover the bank-notes of 100 and 200 Złoty have special holograms.

Face: 10zł - Portrait of Prince Mieszko I
Face: 20zł - Portrait of King Bolesław I „the Brave“
Face: 50zł - Portrait of King Casimir III „the Great“
Face: 100zł - Portrait of King Władysław II Jagiełło
Face: 200zł - Portrait of King Zygmunt I Stary

Money-machines, Credit Cards

Over the past several years, you see more and more automated cash dispensers and use of credit cards, especially in the cities. Rural areas are less familiar with this practice and it is not as common to find cash dispensers. If you plan to take a trip into the mountains, it is better to take cash with you.

All popular credit cards are accepted in most large centres in Poland as it becomes more common and accepted to find automated banking and credit card facilities. The most commonly accepted cards are: Access/Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard, JCB and the most popular card, Visa. Most banks in Poland also offer the choice of obtaining a cash advance on your credit card. Additionally, most automated bank machines also offer the option of a credit card cash advance.