Page 59 - Centrum Dialogu im. Marka Edelmana w Łodzi. Artur Szyk, Man of Dialogue.

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6 6. JEWISH MINTERS
The scene on the next etching features the work of Jewish minters in the royal mint. The inscription in
French reminds that it was Jews who made first Polish coins under the reign of Mieszko the Third.
From the collection of the Józef Piłsudski Library (WiMBP) in Łódź. 5 59 STATUTE OF KALISZ
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A A series of coins (so-called brakteates) for the Duke of
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Wielkopolska Mieszko the Third was created in 1181.
They featured inscriptions in Hebrew.
MSZKA KROL POLSKI or MSZKA DUKUS (Mieszko the
Duke) or with the phrase BRACHA MISZKA (blessing
upon Mieszko), along with wishes and blessings MAZAL
TOV (good luck) and Hebrew names of JAKOB,
ABRAHAM, JOSEF.
On some coins not only Hebrew letters are featured but
also motifs taken from the symbols of Judaism. Indeed,
medieval currency is the oldest evidence of Jewish
presence on Polish lands. Making coins in a medieval mint
In the etching, the artist placed the
coat ofarms of Poland supported by
lions, the figure of a king and a rabbi
and other decorative elements
Jewish scribe writing in Polish. The text
contains the concluding words of a prayer:
"Boże" (God), "Amen" and "My, Żydzi polscy"
(We, the Jews of Poland)…