Calendar. On August 16, 1794 in Warsaw, in the epicenter of the Kościuszko Uprising itself, the first Polish banknotes in history were introduced into circulation. These were tax tickets, which became not only a practical means of payment, but also a symbol of modernity, national determination and the struggle for independence. This emission was revolutionary – Poland joined the group of few European countries that dared to replace traditional metal money with paper valuable signs. The decision to issue them was made by the National Council, appointed by Tadeusz Kościuszko, and the Tax Department was responsible for the technical side of the project. Tickets were printed in various denominations – from 5 to 1000 Polish zlotys – and the signatures of officials and complex graphic elements were signaled, which were to hinder falsification. Their introduction resulted from the dramatic financial situation of the Commonwealth, exhausted after years of partitions, occupation and robbery policy of neighbors. The State Treasury was empty, and the army and the people of Warsaw demanded funds to continue the fight. The new banknotes have therefore become an instrument for saving the uprising, but also a tool for building a sense of community – everyone who used tax tickets became a participant in national effort and co -financed the defense of freedom. Their appearance was of propaganda significance: it showed the nation’s ability to modern and bold solutions despite extremely difficult circumstances. Although the fate of the insurrection was tragic, and after the defeat at Maciejowice Kościuszko came to Russian captivity, the memory of the emission of banknotes from 1794 survived as evidence of innovation and courage. They found a continuation in the times of the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland, and after regaining independence in 1918, the tradition of paper money became the basis of the financial system of the reborn Republic of Poland. Today, these first banknotes stored in museum collections. #Historiapolski #insurrection in the #tadeuszościuszko #banknoty #barzdzpapierowy #warszawa #rzeczpospolita #polska #dzdzictonarodowe #historia #patriotism #independence #konomia #finhant #finanse #xviiii
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