This case contains various denominations of Polish Marks. Printed by the Polish National Loan Fund, they are examples of the currency that was circulated between 1918 and 1923 in the Second Polish Republic (1918 to 1939). The Polish Mark replaced the currencies of the former German, Austrian, and Russian colonial occupiers. The note at the bottom of the case is worth 50,000 Polish Marks. Unfortunately, Poland suffered a series of economic and political crises in the early 1920s, which caused its currency to experience rapid inflation. Stas Radosz, former Executive Director and founder of the Polish Center, remembers seeing his mother carrying a basket full of paper money in order to buy a week’s worth of groceries at the grocery store. At the time this 50,000 note  was issued, it might have bought someone a candy bar. Inflation got so bad between 1922 and 1924 that devaluation of currency was limited to the maximum increase of 275% a month. At one time, the Polish Mark was valued at 6,000,000 Polish Marks to 1 U. S. dollar. In 1924, the Polish government replaced the Mark with the Zloty, which remained Poland’s currency until the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

Author: Ruth Tucker, History major, Elms College.