Under the Act on the National Bank of Poland of August 29, 1997, the National Bank of Poland holds the exclusive right to issue the currency of the Republic of Poland. The currency issued by the NBP consists of notes and coin.

The coins issued by the National Bank fall into two categories. The first are coins for general circulation, struck in large mintings and used as cash, at face value. The second comprise collector's items, minted in limited editions, primarily for coin collectors at home and abroad.

Approval for the reproduction of the banknotes and coins’ designs

The National Bank of Poland (NBP) as the issuer and the owner of property rights related to the money designs reserves itself the right to grant individually its approval for the reproduction of the banknotes and coins’ designs in order to exclude any case of their copying in any form that devalues the Polish money.

NBP does not give its assent to:

• use of the banknotes and coins’ images in order to advertise the substances which may be harmful for health and life if overused
• reproduce the banknotes and coins’ images in a way that may suggest their destruction e.g. crumpling, perforation, breaking or cutting
• folding the banknotes into different shapes.

Due to the NBP's necessity to ensure the safety of the banknotes’ circulation, such an approval is secured with the requirement to reproduce only one side of the notes the size of which is larger than 125 % or smaller than 75 % in the length and width than the original note.

Moreover, according to the applied regulations of the Act on copyright and the related rights of February 4th, 1994 (Official Journal No. 90, item 631 and later amendments) that provide for the observance of the personal copyright, the author's permission is needed in order to use his work. The elements nor the whole work that is being put into circulation as a legal tender nor its elaboration for other purposes than the ones connected with its official function of a legal tender must not be used without the author's permission.

In view of the above, in order to get an approval for using the pictures of banknote or coin designs, one should submit to the NBP the letter containing the following information:

1. Applicant’s data
2. Description of the venture i.e.:
• which notes/coins will be used (front/back side of the note, averse/reverse of the coin, denomination),
• type of the venture,
• the name of the entity the project is commissioned by,
• the type of data carrier the project will be placed on.

The letter shall include the final project of an advertisement and, in case of a commercial film, the film itself together with storyboard.

Due to the necessity of analysing the project, it is suggested to send it, if possible, not later than fourteen days before finalising the venture.

Postal address:

National Bank of Poland
Cash and Issue Department
11/21 Świętokrzyska Street
00-919 Warsaw
Poland

e-mail: sekretariat.des@nbp.pl

fax: 00 48 22 8263853

After receiving the approval from the NBP, one should contact the author of the banknote or coin design in order to get his approval as well.

NBP does not charge any fee for its approvals for using the banknote or coin designs for advertising purposes.