Obverse. Photo © e-hobby.pl
  • 50 Kwacha 2009, Malawi, Jan Matejko, Battle of Grunwald
  • 50 Kwacha 2009, Malawi, Jan Matejko, Battle of Grunwald
Description

Jan Matejko (1838–1893) was a prominent Polish painter known for his large-scale historical paintings depicting significant events from Poland's past. His most famous works include Stańczyk (1862), Rejtan (1866), Union of Lublin (1869), and Battle of Grunwald (1878). Matejko's art played a crucial role in promoting Polish history and identity during a period of partition and political oppression. He studied at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts and later became its director. Despite some criticism of his theatrical style, Matejko is regarded as Poland's "national painter," and his influence extended to students who became major artists themselves.

Obverse

Depicts a combination of historical figures and symbols. At the center, Ulrich von Jungingen, depicted in an illustration by Christophorus Hartknoch around 1674, is shown holding his sword with his name, birth, and death dates below. Opposite him is Władysław II Jagiełło, painted by Jan Matejko, also with his name, dates, and a longsword dividing the two leaders. Above, a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, crowned and facing right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, divides the coat of arms of Malawi and the denomination. Below are the date and country name.

Jogaila (c. 1352/1362 – 1434), later known as Władysław II Jagiełło, was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1377 and King of Poland from 1386 until his death in 1434. Born a Lithuanian pagan, he converted to Catholicism in 1386, adopting the name Ladislaus upon his baptism in Kraków. He married Queen Jadwiga of Poland and became King of Poland, establishing the foundation for the enduring Polish-Lithuanian union. His reign is noted for the conversion of Lithuania to Christianity in 1387 and the Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Teutonic Order at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, which solidified the union's power in Europe and marked the start of Poland's Golden Age.

Ulrich von Jungingen (1360–1410) was the 26th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1407 until his death in 1410. His confrontational approach toward the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland ignited the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War, culminating in the disastrous defeat for the Teutonic Order and his own death at the Battle of Grunwald.

Bitwa pod Grunwaldem
(15.07.1410)
Ulrich von Jungingen
(1380-1410)
Władysław II Jagiełło
(1362-1434)
50
MWK
REPUBLIC OF MALAWI 2009

Reverse

Depicts Jan Matejko's painting of the "Battle of Grunwald" (1878), highlighting the victory of the allied forces of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania over the Teutonic Order in 1410, with a focus on the death of the Grand Master, Ulrich von Jungingen. A prominent figure is the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas the Great, dressed in red and wielding a raised sword. The series title "Jan Matejko," along with his birth and death dates, is featured above the scene, noting that the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, where Matejko served as president, was named in his honor in 1979. The painting’s name in Polish and its date are displayed below, with 19 crystal pieces embellishing the coin.

The Battle of Grunwald, also known as the Battle of Žalgiris or the First Battle of Tannenberg, took place on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The allied forces of the Kingdom of Poland, led by King Władysław II Jagiełło, and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, under Grand Duke Vytautas, decisively defeated the Teutonic Order, whose Grand Master, Ulrich von Jungingen, was killed. Although the Teutonic Order survived the siege of Malbork Castle and lost little territory, the defeat marked the decline of their power, shifting the balance in Central and Eastern Europe in favor of the Polish–Lithuanian union. The battle is remembered as a key moment in Polish and Lithuanian history and has been reinterpreted over time as a symbol of national pride and resistance to foreign invaders.

JAN MATEJKO
1838 1893
BITWA POD GRUNWALDEM
•1878•

Edge

50 Kwacha

Republic

Jan Matejko
Battle of Grunwald

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KM#
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.999
Weight 93.3 g
Diameter 65 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal

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Jan Matejko

Silver, 93.3 g, ⌀ 65 mm