The Numismatic Cabinet

Permanent exhibition

The collection kept in the Numismatic Cabinet is the second largest permanent numismatic display in Warsaw. It presents both the history and production achievements of the Mint of Poland since its foundation in 1766. In the Cabinet’s collection, there are, among others, coins from the period of King Stanisław August Poniatowski, the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland.

Temporary exhibition

The Mint’s collection consists of over 70,000 coins, numismatic products, medals and other medallist items. The permanent display shows only a small part of it. Therefore, a few times a year, we organize special temporary displays, during which you can see other masterpieces of our extensive collection, which normally are not available to the public.

The Cinema of the Numismatic Cabinet

The Mint of Poland is the only manufacturer of circulation coins in Poland. The process of minting coins for Narodowy Bank Polski is secret. And, it is associated with numerous restrictions. However, in the Numismatic Cabinet, we let you in on this secret. When visiting our cinema, you will see selected stages of the production process of circulation coin. For the youngest visitors, we prepared an educational film called "The History of Money".

Old machinery

Mindful of its history, the Mint of Poland preserved old minting machinery, which is now presented in our museum, in excellent condition.

A monetary machine – a toggle press, located at the junction of ul. Żelazna and Grzybowska, was purchased by the Polish State Mint in 1939 from Grimal Factory in France.

In the interwar period, the Mint of Poland bought a reducing machine (manufactured in the late 19th century in France at Jananvier Brechot). The machine was used until the end of the 60s, and now it can be seen in the "Aurum" building at ul. Waliców 11.

The 19th century coining press based on a mechanical principle of a heavy fly wheel operating a lever through a toggle joints, squeezing the upper die smoothly down on the blank (a gift from the Mint of Vienna), made to the design of D. Ulhorn, is the so-called small model (the smallest of the four models developed in the 19th century). The press was adjusted to blanks with a diameter of 20mm. Its production capacity is 60-70 pieces per minute. The press can be seen in the "Aurum" building next to the Numismatic Cabinet – it is operated only on special occasions, including the Night of Museums.

The 1000th Anniversary of Christianity in Poland

A special medal ordered in 1966 from the Polish State Mint by Polish community in the United States. The authorities of the People’s Republic of Poland gave their permission to manufacture the medal, provided that the entire mintage would be exported to the United States. The release of the medal is associated with an extraordinary story. Wacław Kowalik, the author of the design, presented Mieszko I with his face looking like Józef Piłsudski’s face. To avoid any trouble due to this political joke, the design of the medal was assigned to an emigrant, Wincenty Gawron.

Constitution of 1791

"CONSTITUTION of 3rd MAY" – a medal with a portrait of Stanisław August Poniatowski, commemorating the adoption of the "Government Act", commonly known as the Constitution of 3rd May, in 1791. This is the first in Poland and second, after the US, constitution in the world. The medal was created on the initiative of two citizens of Amsterdam - Gülcher and Mülder, who through Piotr Blank, a banker from Warsaw, sent the king a piece minted in gold, along with a letter expressing their respect and recognition.

An image of a woman on the coin

The first coins with an image of a woman (Athena) appeared in Greece approx. in the 6th century BC.
In the Renaissance, Spanish, English and Swedish coins bear portraits of queens. From the 18th century, images of women can be found on Russian, Austrian, French and American coins. The first image of a woman on a Polish coin appeared no sooner than in the interwar period. In 1924, one and two-zloty silver coins designed by T. Breyeraz were minted abroad - in England, France and the USA.

They featured an image of a girl wearing her hair in plaits and a scarf on her head.Another Polish coin with an image of a woman was minted in 1928 by the Polish State Mint. It was a silver 5-zloty coin with an image of Nike, made according to the design of E. Wittig.