A 20-zloty banknote commemorating the 300th anniversary of the coronation of the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa was issued by the National Bank of Poland on 21st Aug 2017.

The Virgin Mary has long had a special status with the Polish people, so much so that both Polish rulers and commoners prayed before her legendary icon, a 4-foot-high painting in the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa. On April 1, 1656, King John Casimir swore an oath to Mary in a ceremony in the Lvov cathedral. He put his kingdom under her protection and declared her Queen of the Polish Crown.

The note’s face shows the crowns given by the pope. The crown of the Virgin Mary, topped by stars, is positioned above Jesus’ crown. Both are supported by pairs of angels. A Marian monogram in a see-through register under the crown of Jesus is one of the security features. The watermark is the coat of arms of the Pauline Fathers — a raven with bread in its beak over two lions supporting a palm tree.

The back has a drawing first published in Rome in 1717 that shows the coronation event. To the left of it is a drawing of the Jasna Gora Monastery. A floral motif from the icon’s frame is on the right side above the watermark.

Image Courtesy: coinworld.com