The second banknote of this class, of uncommon beauty from the period of the Duchy of Warsaw that has found its way to our auctions.
A variety with a stamp on the reverse. Signature of commissioner Walenty Sobolewski.
Banknote deflected once through the middle with a very slight natural hump of refraction. Bent tip of the upper right corner.Three micro holes from clipping probably the whole file, typical of the thalers of the Duchy of Warsaw, which were clipped together after withdrawal from circulation.
Particularly noteworthy is the full freshness of the printing, untouched by the slightest circulation, as evidenced not only by the exquisitely preserved dry stamps, but especially by the phenomenally preserved embossing of the printing visible on the reverse.
The banknote is intended for collectors who place uncompromising emphasis on beauty and print quality. The listing of a similarly preserved piece in our Auction XI with a final price of 53,550 zloty confirms that it is still the quality and beauty of a banknote that counts most in the market, regardless of the potential grading bill.
A beautiful banknote, the bidding of which promises to be extremely exciting!
The Duchy of Warsaw was created by the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807. By decree of the Saxon King and Warsaw Prince Frederick August on December 1, 1810, paper money was introduced - the cassation tickets of the Warsaw Principality. These were in the denominations of 1, 2 and 5 thalers. When paper money was exchanged for bullion money, a commission of 2.22% of the value was charged. Therefore, cash tickets did not enjoy the confidence of the population. In addition, a maximum of half the amount of taxes could be paid with paper money.
The layout was related to the circulating paper money issued at the time in the Kingdom of Saxony. These were one-sided rectangular prints characterized by a composition closed with an ornamental frame topped at the top with the Principality's coat of arms.
In 1812, the Duchy of Warsaw was occupied by the Russian army. Fleeing Warsaw, the Government of the Duchy took with it paper money, which was burned in Cracow. In 1815, the Central Liquidation Commission was established to collect paper thalers from the population. The cash tickets were stamped on the reverses with an elongated seal. However, their redemption never took place.
