One of the unique proof prints documenting the stages in the creation of the first 5-złoty banknote of the Second Polish Republic.
A superbly executed portrait of Prince Józef Poniatowski by Eugene Gasperini“Gaspe,” the central image of which adorned the 5 zlotych banknotes from 1919 and 1924.
A precise, three-layer print in shades of brown.
Composed of a main layer, an intermediate layer, and an underprint. Features the visible signature of the engraver, who worked in France, beneath the portrait (E. GASPE).
Dimensions: 105 x 105 mm (print within a +/- 7.5 x 7.5 cm rectangle).
Proof prints are the only surviving records of the complex process of banknote production. These are usually extremely rare, one-of-a-kind specimens documenting the successive stages of production. They allow for a detailed examination of the graphics of each layer and reveal details invisible on the final banknote. Now included in the collection, they lend the collection a unique spirit of the era.
