Real coins·6 April 2026·4 min read
The Polish zloty — "the golden one"
The name of Poland's currency literally means "golden", a memory of when money was precious metal.
The name "zloty" comes from the Polish word for gold. Originally it referred to foreign gold coins circulating in medieval Poland, before the country struck its own gold coin.
From gold to modern
Like many European currencies, the zloty went through inflation, reforms and a 1995 denomination (after post-communist hyperinflation). The "golden" name remained, though it has long ceased to be gold.
