Cities in Poland - Gdynia, 2 zl

A commemorative 2-zloty coin from the Cities in Poland series with an image of the sea port in Gdynia.

Obverse:
The image of the eagle established as the state emblem of the Republic of Poland. At the sides of the eagle the year of issue: 20-11, under the eagle an inscription: ZŁ 2 ZŁ. Along the rim an inscription: RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA (THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND), preceded and followed by six pearls. Under the eagle’s left foot the symbol of the mint: M/W.

Reverse:
A stylized image of a fragment of the post in Gdynia with the city’s architecture in the background. In the lower part, diagonally, an inscription: GDYNIA.

On the edge: eight inscriptions: NBP, every second one reversed by 180 degrees, separated by stars.
 
Obverse designer: Ewa Tyc-Karpińska
Reverse designer: Dobrochna Surajewska

Gdynia – a city with the status of a county (powiat) located in the north of Poland, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, by the Baltic sea in the coastal region of Gdańsk, in the Eastern Pomeranian lake district. Gdynia is a part of the conurbation of the Tri-city (with the town of Sopot and the city of Gdańsk). It is one of the cities of the Gdańsk agglomeration.

Chartered on 10 February 1926, it saw its greatest development with the construction of the seaport which, considering the then uncertain status of the free city of Gdańsk, was to give Poland access to sea routes and a navy basis. Due to the considerable inflow of people and the dynamic growth of the port, within several years from receiving its charter Gdynia was transformed from a fishermen’s village into a city with the population of 127 thousand (in 1939).

At present, according to the data of the Central Statistical Office (GUS) as of 31 December 2010, it has 247,324 inhabitants and covers the area of 135km2.

Since its very beginnings, Gdynia based its economy on the sea. When still a village, it used a fishing harbour in Oksywie. At the moment of chartering in 1926, the town had already for 6 years had its seaport, which with time has become the economic symbol of the city. At that time it was the only major transshipment and passenger seaport in Poland, due to the short shoreline in the interwar period and the unavailability of the port in Gdańsk. At the same time, the shipbuilding industry developed in Gdynia. Since the 1990s the city has been witnessing the growth of the financial sector, with many new office towers constructed for companies from various sectors. In 2001, the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park was founded in Gdynia.

The city can boast the 2nd transshipment seaport in Poland, specialising in container transshipment. However, the port is regarded to be one of the most comprehensive ones at the Polish coast. It is also the main passenger port of the Tri-city.