The first of a series of 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 main part of which adorned the 5 zlotych banknotes from 1919 and 1924.
This is an exceptionally precise, three-layer print in a “brown” color scheme (similar to the final banknotes, though with a distinctly different color in the main layer). It was produced on a 1:1 scale with the banknotes—matching both the size and the individual layers used.
It illustrates what this portrait might have looked like had its production by the Lyon-based printing house (IMP Benoit) been of a higher standard.
Three layers are used here: the main layer (dark brown/sepia; navy blue on the banknote), the intermediate layer (light brown), and the underprint (in shades of red). All individual layers can be examined in detail thanks to their separate prints included in this unique collection.
The entire piece is mounted on a presentation card and backed with parchment on the front, with a window left for the portrait (à la passe-partout).
Dimensions: 105 x 163 mm (including a window diameter of 68 mm).
Proof prints are the only surviving witnesses to the complex process of banknote production. These are usually extremely rare, one-of-a-kind items documenting the successive stages of production. They allow one to closely examine the artwork of individual layers or notice details invisible on the final banknote. Now included in the collection, they lend the collection a unique spirit of the era.
