A quick heads-up that the latest coin in the National bank of Poland’s long-running ‘Enduring Soldiers Accursed by the Communists’ is now available. We’ve been following this series for some time, including a Coin Series Profile, not because they are boundary-pushing coins, or even anything particularly unusual numismatically, but because the subject matter is so compelling.

The series looks at some of the figures that fought for Polish integrity after the fall of the Nazi’s in 1945. Many forget that for the people in many Eastern European countries, they’d just swapped one lunatic for another. Poland was hit hard during the war, and that continued under Soviet occupation for many years after. Each of these one ounce sterling silver coins highlights one of the many that fought and often died, in the fight for Polish independence. This one features the tragic story of Mieczysław Dziemieszkiewicz, alias Rój, who was murdered by a Soviet-backed militia aged just 26, after years of fighting to avenge the death of his brother, also killed by the Soviets in 1945.

The NBP does a great job.with the backstory on each issue, which we’ve reproduced in full in our profile. History buffs will find the stories powerful and offering a great insight into a difficult, and overlooked period in European history. The coins have done a fantastic job in bringing some of this into the light. Boxed with a C.O.A., it’s available now.

LINKS: COIN SERIES PROFILE TO ‘ENDURING SOLDIERS’