National Bank of Poland

10 Zloty

14,14

32

Silver 925°

80 000

finish standard oxidized

Urszula Walerzak

Mint of Poland

Obverse: At the top – an image of the Eagle, established as the State Emblem of the Republic of Poland. On the sides of the Eagle’s legs – an inscription “10–ZŁ”. Below, against the background of the Polish military Eagle outline – inscriptions: “KATYŃ/KALININ/ CHARKÓW/ MIŃSK/ CHERSOŃ/ KIJÓW”. On the let-hand side – a semicircular inscription “RZECZPOSPOLITA” (Republic), on the right-hand side a semicircular inscription “POLSKA” (of Poland) 2010. The mint’s mark M/W – under the Eagle’s let leg. Reverse: At the bottom – stylized images of tree trunks, the upper parts of which represent images of crosses. Above them – an inscription 70. (70th). At the top – a semicircular inscription “ROCZNICA ZBRODNI KATYŃSKIEJ” (anniversary of the Katynmassacre).

As a result of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939, around 250 thousand soldiers of the Polish Army were taken prisoners. Some of them were considered particularly dangerous and were placed in special NKVD camps. On 5 March 1940, the Political Bureau approved the proposal to kill the prisoners put in the camps of Kozelsk, Starobilsk and Ostashkov and to shoot 11 thousand Polish citizens, kept in NKVD prisons in the Eastern borderlands occupied by the Soviet Union. Almost 22 thousand people fell victim to the Katyn massacre. The murdered were the cream of the Polish intelligentsia – not only well educated but also exhibiting patriotic attitude.