Poland's central-bank law gives NBP exclusive issuance rights for monetary signs denominated in zloty and grosz, with legal-tender status. Articles 33–37 address designs, issue volumes, withdrawal, damage and counterfeits, placing Polish cash management within the bank's mandate.
TL;DR:
- NBP alone issues zloty and grosz monetary signs with legal-tender status.
- Rules address designs, issuance, withdrawal, damage and suspected counterfeits.
- The reviewed codification is dated August 2026; current exchange and circulation rules add detail.
Summary
Exclusive issuance of Polish monetary signs
Article 4 of the Act on Narodowy Bank Polski gives NBP the exclusive right to issue the monetary signs of the Republic of Poland. The currency chapter identifies notes and coins denominated in zloty and grosz and establishes their legal-tender effect. This is the sovereign currency layer of the payment system, distinct from the legal permissions of a private payment institution or bank. An account can use the national unit without becoming cash issued directly by NBP.
Designs and putting currency into circulation
The currency provisions cover the characteristics and issue of notes and coins, including designs, denominations and the quantities placed into circulation. These powers connect the legal unit with the physical instruments available for payments. A change in design or a commemorative issue should therefore be understood through the relevant NBP decision and current information. The statute establishes who has the authority, while the issue-specific material identifies the instrument and its actual circulation context.
Withdrawal, damage and counterfeits
Articles 33–37 address withdrawal and exchange, damaged notes and coins and the handling of suspected counterfeit instruments. These are different situations: an authentic note withdrawn from circulation is not the same as a counterfeit, and a damaged instrument can have its own exchange treatment. Current NBP procedures add operational detail. The legal-tender description should therefore remain connected to authenticity, circulation status and the applicable exchange rules rather than reduced to the printed face value alone.
The current codified text and other payment laws
The official Sejm codified text is dated 26 August 2026 and states the legislative basis for its consolidation. It supplies a current reference for the central-bank statute’s currency provisions, while other legislation governs private payment services and institutions. The distinction matters when analysing a digital wallet or transfer product denominated in zloty: its provider and customer-funds arrangement have their own legal context. NBP’s sovereign issuance power does not automatically pass to a commercial provider because its product uses the same unit.
Keywords
- Polish zloty
- grosz
- NBP issuance
- legal tender
- note designs
- issuance volumes
- currency withdrawal
- damaged cash
- suspected counterfeits
- 2026 codification