A year significantly rarer than the subsequent issues.
The banknote is known from only a handful of auction appearances. The most recent example offered at our auction in 2023 achieved a final price of PLN 48,790.
The state of preservation, considering the class of this item, is decidedly above average. A natural banknote, relatively fresh in appearance.
A position missing from many advanced Free City of Danzig collections. Known from only a few recorded sales.
The strongest strictly circulation-issued item within the Free City of Danzig banknotes offered at the 17th Premium Auction.
Polecamy
The issue of the Bank of Danzig (Bank von Danzig) owes its global reputation to its beautiful graphic design and the outstanding print quality of the renowned printing house Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd. In terms of visual appeal, this issue represents a kind of counterbalance to the earlier issue of the Danzig Central Treasury, which was printed locally by Bodenstein und Miehlke and whose quality cannot be compared with that of the British firm. The release of the so-called “Rosenberg reserves” enabled collectors to acquire many previously unavailable denominations, including the highest denominations of 500 and 1,000 gulden, which had been accessible exclusively for interbank circulation. The collector market also received the final issues of the 20, 50, and 100 gulden notes, as well as, to a limited extent, the 10 and 25 gulden denominations. By deduction, it is easy to conclude that the famous reserves did not contain lower denominations from the year 1924 nor the exceptional 25 gulden note from 1928, which were naturally worn out in circulation. Within the first issue year, it is precisely the 25 gulden note from 1924 that constitutes the most difficult typological position to acquire from the Bank of Danzig issue. When compared with the also rare 100 gulden note, we can observe that the 25 gulden denomination was withdrawn from circulation in 1933, whereas the 100 gulden remained in circulation until the liquidation of the Free City’s separate monetary system. Without delving into series variants, the 25 gulden note of 1924 has never been recorded in uncirculated condition, and global archives list the finest known examples at the VF to VF+ level. The presented specimen is not only the most difficult position to obtain within this issue, but its state of preservation will be very hard to replace with a superior example. A true Danzig rarity in a natural, healthy state of preservation.
Mateusz Wójcicki
