Many local governments across Poland have already opted to issue their own coins. Jelenia Góra, Karpacz, Szklarska Poręba, Bogatynia, Lubań, Lubawka and Zgorzelec, among others, have their own ducats. In August, Bolesławiec will join this distinguished group. During this year’s Ceramic Festival, municipal ducats (6 Bolesławs) worth 6 złoty will be put into circulation.
The coins will function as vouchers. For a full year, they can be used to pay for goods and services, as well as exchanged for złoty at selected locations in the city (the list of locations will be available on the websites of the city hall and the Karkonoski Dom Numizmatyczny in Jelenia Góra). After August 22, 2010, the ducats will have only collectible value.
The Bolesławiec coins, which will be minted by the Czech Mint in Jablonec in an issue of 5,000, will be made of brass (30 mm in diameter, weighing nearly 14 grams and 3 mm thick). The city also plans to issue 100 silver ducats for collectors. Each one will cost 200 złoty. The silver Bolesławs will be available from September 1 this year.
The organizers of the initiative invite Bolesławiec entrepreneurs to cooperate. All retail, catering and service businesses from Bolesławiec and the surrounding area will be able to put the Bolesławiec ducats into circulation and accept them at their premises. More information is available by telephone at: 075 75 25 403.
Updated 2009-07-24 13:50
As reported by Agnieszka Ludkiewicz of the Karkonoski Dom Numizmatyczny, the issue of municipal ducats will total 7,500 pieces, of which 5,000 will be minted with the regular die and 2,500 with the inverted die.
The official launch of the ducats will take place on Saturday, August 22. The event organizer will set up a blue tent bearing the words Karkonoski Dom Numizmatyczny in the Market Square, where municipal ducats will be available from the morning until late evening.
(information from the Karkonoski Dom Numizmatyczny team/Gerard Augustyn)