- The bank was established by a decree of 17/29 January 1828.
- The ceremonial opening took place in Warsaw on 6 May 1828.
- It should not be confused with Bank Polski SA of 1924 or today's NBP.
The founding documents use a dual date: 17/29 January 1828. This reflects two calendars, not two separate acts. The bank was established before its ceremonial opening on 6 May. Treasury minister Franciszek Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki played an important part in preparing the institution.
The Central Archives of Historical Records describes two related tasks of Bank Polski: servicing public debt and supporting the Kingdom of Poland's economy. The bank was also allowed to deal with foreign banks and trading houses. It was not merely a place to keep money; it formed part of the organisation of credit and settlements.
NBP Money Centre publications discuss its right to issue notes and its lending in support of mining, metallurgy and infrastructure, among other sectors. They also explain an interesting chronological trap: although the bank opened in 1828, it could use treasury notes prepared earlier. The date on a monetary document need not be the founding date of the institution that put it into circulation.
More than banknotes survive. The AGAD inventory lists records of deposits, loans, credit and correspondence with trading houses. They reveal the everyday side of a major project: specific receivables, obligations and agreements. The name Bank Polski returned in later circumstances, but the institutions of 1828 and 1924 must be distinguished.
Financial documents still help establish the basis of a receivable and how it was settled. In a modern dispute, PGW can help organise the records and establish the scope of further action. Contact PGW.
Sources and documents
- AGAD, Bank Polski, fonds inventory PL 1/221: institutional history and bank records, AGAD, Bank Polski, fonds inventory PL 1/221: institutional history and bank records.
- NBP Money Centre, Bankoteka No. 14, p. 21: founding statute and opening of the bank, NBP Money Centre, Bankoteka No. 14, p. 21: founding statute and opening of the bank.
- NBP Money Centre, Bankoteka No. 3: Bank Polski and lending to the economy, NBP Money Centre, Bankoteka No. 3: Bank Polski and lending to the economy.
- Illustration: Adrian Grycuk, Warsaw Exchange and Bank Polski building, 2022. A modern photograph of the historical building. Attribution: Adrian Grycuk; version edited by Jacek Halicki. Proportionally reduced thumbnail supplied by Wikimedia Commons. No additional cropping, retouching or colour changes to the file., Illustration record and provenance.
- Illustration rights (Adrian Grycuk, edited by Jacek Halicki, 2022. CC BY-SA 3.0 PL, reduced.): CC BY-SA 3.0 PL., CC BY-SA 3.0 PL.
- This version of the photograph remains available under the stated CC BY-SA licence. Further use must retain the required attribution, information about changes and the requirement to share under the same or a compatible licence..
- Illustration: Marie Eugénie Gomier-Prévot, portrait of Franciszek Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki, 1825. National Museum in Warsaw, deposited at Wilanów. Attribution: Marie Eugénie Gomier-Prévot. Original file used without enlargement, cropping, retouching or other changes., Illustration record and provenance.
- Illustration rights (Marie Eugénie Gomier-Prévot, Drucki-Lubecki, 1825. National Museum in Warsaw.): Public domain, PD-Art, according to the Commons record., Rights information.
- Illustration: 5 Polish złoty banknote, 1830. Collection: banknotypolskie.pl. Authorship: www.banknotypolskie.pl. A proportionally scaled Commons thumbnail was downloaded, or the original where no thumbnail was available; no additional retouching or cropping. The card display uses a CSS greyscale filter. Rights: CC0., Illustration provenance.
- Terms of use: CC0., CC0.
- Supplementary illustration: P. Boczkowski, stock exchange hall, 1877. Tygodnik Illustrowany, Mazovian Digital Library. Context for the place, person or period, not a photograph of the event on the date in the title. Authorship and date: P. Boczkowski, engraver; 1877. Provenance and restrictions: Public domain, PD-old/PDM according to the Commons/MBC record (terms), Illustration provenance.
- Illustration rights (P. Boczkowski, exchange hall, 1877. Tygodnik Illustrowany, Mazovian Digital Library.): Public domain, PD-old/PDM according to the Commons/MBC record., Rights information.
- Ilustracje: Photo: Adrian Grycuk; edited by Jacek Halicki, 2022; Marie Eugénie Gomier-Prévot, Drucki-Lubecki, 1825. National Museum in Warsaw; 5 Polish złoty banknote, 1830. Collection: banknotypolskie.pl; P. Boczkowski, exchange hall, 1877. Tygodnik Illustrowany, Mazovian Digital Library.
This article is historical and informational and does not constitute legal advice.