A rare, distinctive issue, colorfully described by Kalkowski in"A Thousand Years of Polish Coinage." This quote from his work perfectly captures the entire historical background related to the issue of this banknote:
"After the outbreak of the Greater Poland Uprising on December 27, 1918, the rule in the liberated district was taken over by the Supreme People's Council. In view of the large economic differences with Congress Poland and Lesser Poland, sharp separatist tendencies became apparent in the Council. It was decided to maintain the inter-district customs border and establish a district issuing bank under the name "Bank for Western Poland." A banknote issue was prepared on the spot (...) It soon became apparent that the economic separation of the Greater Poland district could not be maintained. Only one nationwide money could be in circulation throughout the country. The Bank for Western Poland never began its activities (...) We will never know how big the issue was to be prepared, what its denominations were. The printed banknotes went to paper mills for milling; as far as we know, only three 50-mark pieces survived (...)"
Just one thing needs to be corrected. Today, more than three pieces of the 50-mark are known, but all the time it is a rare issue, incidentally appearing on the auction market.
It is worth mentioning that the designer of the banknote was Wiktor Gosieniecki, and he wove his initials into the banknote's graphics - in the central part, on the lower frame.
It was a money design by design with a fairly large range, even though it was not an official government issue. The issue designed a whole series of denominations, while only the 50-mark denomination has survived to our time - in few pieces. Other denominations are not even known images.
Unconventional, nice design with a striking image of an eagle on the reverse.
The present piece with a nice presence. Natural banknote, without preservation.