20 Zlotys Soviet Aggression against Poland – 17 September 1939, Poland

The Year 1939 medal, which is the source of images for the coin design, was authored by a renowned sculptor Jzef Gosawski (19081963). The scene on the obverse is a symbolic representation of the events of 17 September 1939 a Polish soldier fighting the German aggressor is stabbed in the back by a Red Army soldier.

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The inscription on the obverse says: “WE WRZEŚNIU 1939 NAPADNIĘCI PRZEZ ARMIE NIEMIECKĄ I BOLSZEWICKĄ – MY POLACY – OFIARĄ KRWI BRONILIŚMY WOLNOŚCI LUDÓW, HONORU I RELIGII [IN SEPTEMBER 1939, ATTACKED BY THE GERMAN AND THE BOLSHEVIK ARMIES, WE THE POLES, PAID IN BLOOD TO DEFEND THE FREEDOM OF PEOPLES, HONOUR AND RELIGION]”. The design came from a deep urge to comment on the tragic historical moment on part of the artist who witnessed those events. The sculptor could not exhibit his work in his lifetime, he thus put together both sides of the medal, encased them in plaster and stored them in this form. It was not until 2009 that his family decided to make the work public.

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