Warsaw, Poland, Oct 16, 2006 / 22:00 pm
On October 16, the 28th anniversary of the election to the papacy of the Servant of God, John Paul II, the Central Bank of Poland put into circulation a new bill featuring the image of the late Pontiff.
The front side of the bill features a background with a map of the world, overlaid with an image of Pope John Paul II imparting a blessing and the dates of his pontificate, October 16, 1978 to April 2, 2005. The backside features an image of Pope John Paul II embracing Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski during the papal installation of 1978.
The bill also features two watermarks, one of the symbols of the Vatican and the other of the pontifical insignia of Pope John Paul II.
The artwork on the bill was designed by Polish artist Andrzej Heidrich, who consulted with the late pontiff’s former secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, and others.
Two million copies of the bill, which are valued at 13 euros each, were issued.