International panel of judges of the Coin of the Year 2016 competition has chosen the Most Inspirational Coin. The winner is a silver commemorative coin honoring the “100th Anniversary of Jan Karski’s Birth”. The collectible is devoted to a Polish resistance movement fighter and emissary of the Polish Underground State Jan Karski.

It won the category by succeeding over its nine competitors, including nominees from Canada, Finland, the United States and Lithuania.

The silver 10-zloty coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of birth of Jan Karski was issued on April 24th, 2014. Along with the year of issue and the face value, the obverse of the collectible bears the image of an eagle established as the national emblem of the Republic of Poland. The reverse depicts an image of a key in which Jan Karski smuggled microfilms with the reports on Jews’ situation in German-occupied Poland. The key is accompanied by a micro-printed text of a secret messages along with Jan Karski’s signature. The award-winning coin was designed by Sebastian Mikołajczak, a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland.

– „I am glad that the Mint of Poland carries out successful projects referring to the Polish historical legacy. Jan Karski was an extremely meritorious person and he deserves a lasting memory for all his actions. The award granted to the Mint of Poland during the Coin of the Year 2016 confirms the quality and uniqueness of our products. It is also a token of recognition from the international numismatic scene.” – said Siemowit Kalukiewicz, the Chief Operating Officer at the Mint of Poland.

The Coin of the Year Award is a competition founded and conducted annually by the American publishing house Krause Publications. Since 1984, the international panel of 80 judges (comprised of mint officials, journalists, international experts, members of American Numismatic Association and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee) chooses a winner from 100 participants in 10 separate categories: Most Historically Significant Coin, Best Contemporary Event Coin, Best Crown Coin, Best Gold Coin, Best Silver Coin, Best Circulating Coin, Best Bi-Metallic Coin, Most Artistic Coin, Most Innovative Coin and Most Inspirational Coin.

A second round of the competition will reveal the “Coin of the Year 2016”. The awards will be presented on February 6^th, 2016 during the official awards ceremony at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany. All coins nominated for the 2016 awards were issued in 2014.

It is worth mentioning that coins issued by the National Bank of Poland have been distinguished during prior editions of the Coin of the Year Award. The title of the Most Inspirational Coin 2013 was granted to the “Europe Without Barriers – 100^th Anniversary of the Society for the Care of the Blind” silver 10-zloty coin. In 2006 and 2011 the same title was bestowed to the coins “In Memory of Victims in Łódź Ghetto” and „70th Anniversary of Creating the Polish Underground State”. In 2010, the “65^th Anniversary of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising” was acclaimed the Most Artistic Coin.

During World War II Jan Karski reported to the British and U.S. governments on the situation in Poland, especially on the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Holocaust of Polish Jews. He used a special hollowed key to smuggle the microfilms with details on the extermination of European Jews. His courage, determination and dedication helped to inform the American and British elites about the tragic events taking place under the German occupation. Jan Karski was bestowed with the title “Righteous Among the Nations” and the Order of the White Eagle. He died in 2000 in Washington, D.C., and was posthumously granted the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian award of the United States

***

The Mint of Poland, widely acclaimed as one of the most technologically advanced mints in the world, is a sole manufacturer of circulation coins in Poland. We are among very few mints that meet market’s expectations with such a flexibility – what means our coins are always struck in line with state-of-the-art technologies. Thanks to this competitive edge, accompanied by highest craftsmanship of our designers, we win awards in most prestigious international competitions.

Our portfolio is diversified. We are a sole manufacturer of gold bars in Poland. We actively strengthen our position in the area of the Municipal Card System. As for now, this system is used in Poland’s biggest cities, including Warsaw, Wrocław, Lublin, Bydgoszcz and Łódź.

For several years the Mint of Poland has also been dynamically involved in the real estate segment. Its newest project in this field is Mennica Legacy Tower – a modern office complex. The company also owns a 27-ha building plot in Warsaw’s Żerań, as well as other building plots in Annopol and in the city center.

Should you require further information, please contact:

Agnieszka Trzaskoma
agnieszka.trzaskoma@mc.com.pl
Tel. 797 343 749