Poland 1998-MW 500 zlotych Fr-159
This specimen was lot 71498 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, February 2020), where it sold for $1,860. The catalog description[1] noted, "POLAND. 500 Zlotych, 1998-MW. Warsaw Mint. NGC MS-70. A gold bullion issue with .9999 of an ounce of pure gold contained. Mintage of 1000 pieces. Eagle found on both sides." Poland obtained her freedom in the early 1990's with the fall of the Berlin Wall but the new government found the treasury as empty as before. NCLT's ("Non Circulating Legal Tender" coinage) were issued in a bewildering array to help stem the flow. This one was struck 1995-2008 as a bullion coin. It was accompanied by half ounce (Fr-160), quarter ounce (Fr-161) and tenth ounce (Fr-162) issues.
Recorded mintage: 1,000.
Specification: 31.10 g, 0.999 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-B1 (formerly Fr-159), KM-Y295.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The February 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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