2020-07-22 Wed

Poland celebrates Anniversary of the iconic church of the country – the Saint Mary’s Basilica in Krakow with two new coins including a commemorative coin.

Poland commemorates the 700th anniversary of a famous church in Krakow. According to researcher Jan D?ugosz, the first parochial church was founded at the site in 1221 to 1222 by the Bishop of Krakow. The bishop established the parish by transferring it from the Church of the Holy Trinity, allocated to the Dominican friars when they arrived in Krakow.

That structure was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Poland. A new church, at the current site, was erected from 1290 to 1300 and consecrated in 1320, the anniversary now being honored with two new coins – one circulating and one non-circulating.

The circulating coin is a 5 zloty ringed-bimetallic piece, with a manganese ring and a copper-aluminum-nickel center. The obverse carries the standard Polish eagle design and the reverse shows the church’s two towers.

The other coin is 999 fine silver 50-zloty features on the obverse a portion of a presbytery window from the church in late-Gothic style floral patterns, with an inset of colorful stained glass representing imagery from the Veit Stoss Altarpiece and its predella. The reverse of the coin features an image of St. Mary’s Basilica in Kraków on the right and the colorful stained-glass window at the left.

Image Courtesy: coinworld.com