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Poland Pope John Paul II Pilgrimage to Gniezno Medal, 1979

Currency:CAD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:5.00 CAD Estimated At:10.00 - 20.00 CAD
Poland Pope John Paul II Pilgrimage to Gniezno Medal, 1979
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[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2026 May 29 @ 18:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
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Poland, 966-1979, Pope John Paul II’s Pilgrimage to Gniezno commemorative bronze medal. In June 1979, the recently elected Pope made his first historic papal pilgrimage to his homeland. The visit notably bridged Poland’s 966 Christianization with the modern era by honoring St. Adalbert and challenged the communist regime through an impassioned plea for European unity and religious freedom. When the 1,000 year anniversary was set to take place in 1966, the communist Polish regime blocked Pope Paul VI from visiting Poland to celebrate the historic anniversary. Therefore, John Paul II’s visit 13 years later essentially served as a delayed, grand-scale celebration of that 966 millennium. Obv: Pope John Paul II portrait holding up a Holy Bible with inscription below: “JAN PAWEŁ II”. Rev: Cross superimposed on a candle flame with GNIEZNO •966• 1979• on two lines below the image. Edge: Plain. The obverse displays AU details with some oxidisation in the fields and image with small spots of original mint luster still present. The reverse displays some nice red and brown colour with some hairline cleaning lines in the fields which do not detract from the overall design and appeal of the metal. Bronze, 40mm, 32g (approx.).