Unissued coin projects – Józef Piłsudski, Gold

A unique set of 2 numismats using as yet unissued coin designs from the interwar period.

The images presented on the coins were submitted in 1933 to take part in a contest organized by the National Mint for the best design of a silver coin commemorating the 20th anniversary of the debouchment of the First Cadre Company of the Polish Army, falling in 1934.

In 1933, a contest for designs of golden coins, initially closed and limited to several chosen artists, winners of previous contests and medal-making artists who had previously cooperated with the National Mint, was announced. For some unknown reasons, the rules of the contest were changed and it became an open event, available to all artists who were willing to participate. It was to be a contest for new Polish coins struck in gold, with face values of 25, 50 and 100 PLN. The contest terms also allowed the artists to design the obverse of coin with the national emblem, in case of a need to correlate it with the image and inscription on the reverse. The contest enjoyed great interest of artists; 71 works in the form of plaster models were submitted. Stanisław Repeta, who at that time was a student at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, won the contest. The fifth place was taken by Józef Aumiller, a medal-making artist and artistic director of the National Mint. As the 20th anniversary of the debouchment of the First Cadre Company was drawing near (in the year 1934), many projects referred to it, as well as to the person of Marshal Józef Piłsudski. The design by Józef Aumiller presented the portrait of the Marshal in high relief, depicted in a traditional, classic way, and it was marked with J.A. initials. Stanisław Repeta’s portrait of the Marshal was in a very shallow relief, in a modern art-deco convention, which was fashionable at that time. The design was not signed. Eventually, the golden coins were not struck. In 1934, the 20th anniversary of the debouchment of the First Cadre Company was celebrated with occasional silver coins with face-values of 5 and 10 PLN, according to the design by Stanisław Ostrowski. The obverse of these coins featured the Legions’ Eagle. Both abovementioned unused reverse sides of coins according to the designs by Józef Aumiller and Stanisław Repeta are presented with this obverse in the set.