Banknotes of Russia 08

When writing the previous set of articles for this blog, I realised that there were many similar notes issued between 1905 and 1912 (but also later on) with mainly 2, 3 or 4 important signatures.
Those signatures are from the State Bank Directors.

However within those notes, a wide range of second signatures (less important for determinating the exact period of issue) makes it way more fun to make larger collection.

The State Bank Director's signatures, depending on the specific banknote, can be one of 4 maximum.
Some later notes only have 3 signature types, and some only 2.
This information can be found on the previous posts I made.

4 basic signatures

A basic collection can consist out of one note of each value.
A more advanced collection might have one note of each issued value, having one of the 2, 3 or 4 signatures.
However, we aim for the highest goal and we'll try to find a copy of each cashiers' signature as well...
Admit it, it adds a lot more fun to your collection.

The most important instrument for determinating which signature, and how many signatures there are, should be available in catalogues.
However the Standard Catalogue of Paper Money, didn't answer my questions, so I went further.

An overview of the cashiers' signatures types I found so far ...

N°	Russian name	Transcribed	Signature
1	А. Афанасьев	A. Afanasyev
2	А. Алексеевъ	A. Alexieyev
3	П. Барышев	P. Barishev
4	Быковъ	Bikov
5	А. Былинский	A. Bilinskiy
6	Богатыревъ	Bogatirev
7	Брут	Brut
8	С. Бубякинъ	S. Bubyakin
9	Бурлаков	Burlakov
10	Чихиржынъ	Chihirzhin
11	Дудолькевичъ	Dudolkievich
12	А. Федулеевъ	A. Fedulyeyev
13	Галцовъ	Galtsov
14	Л. Гавриловъ	L. Gavrilov
15	Е. Гейльманъ	E. Geylman
16	И. Гусевъ	I. Gusiev
17	Г. Иванов	G. Ivanov
18	В. Иванов	V. Ivanov
19	Карповъ	Karpov
20	А. Китаевъ	A. Kitayev
21	П. Коптеловъ	P. Koptielov
22	Лавровский	Lavrovskiy
23	Лошкин	Loshkin
24	В. Мартемьяновъ	V. Martiemyanov
25	Метц	Metc
26	Я. Метц	Y. Metc
27	Михеевъ	Mihieyev
28	Г. де Милло	G. de Millo
29	Морозовъ	Morozov
30	Наумовъ	Naumov
31	А. Никифоровъ	A. Nikiforov
32	М. Осиповъ	M. Osipov
33	Овчинниковъ	Ovchinnikov
34	Поликарпович	Polikarpovich
35	В. Протопопов	V. Protopopov
36	Родионовъ	Rodionov
37	В. Шагинъ	V. Shagin
38	Шелковъ	Shelkov
39	Ф. Шмидт	F. Shmidt
40	Соболь	Sobol
41	Софронов	Sofronov
42	Н. Стариковъ	N. Starikov
43	У. Стариковъ	U. Starikov
44	Свешников	Svieshnikov
45	Терентьевъ	Tierentyev
46	Титовъ	Titov
47	А. Трофимовъ	A. Trofimov
48	Ермолаевъ	Yermolayev
49	Е. Жихаревъ	E. Zhihariev

This might take your collection to a higher level.
Who said that there is a thin line between a hobby and a mental illness, ....

Maybe more to follow ...

Banknotes of Russia 07

The final note in the 1905-12 set is without any doubt the most impressive of them all.
It is also one of the larger notes in my collection.

The note is as large as 272 x 126 mm. Therefore it is difficult to find t in unfolded condition.
Most notes are folded in 4 or even 8.
Folded into 4, it equals the size of a € 10 note!

Russia N°14 - 500 rubles 1912

Russia N°14 - 500 rubles 1912 back

When we take a closer look at the front side of the note, we see the year of issue 1912 (n°1) in the frame untherneath the value.

Year of issue 1912

On top of the same frame, we see the monogram of  Czar Nicholas II (H in Russian - n°4)

N II (Nicholas II) - H in Russian

n°2 shows the full serial number and n°3 the signatures, similar to those on the other notes of the set.
The serial number was printed separately from the note, as you can clearly see on the location of the serial number on two different notes.

different position of serial number on two similar notes

The signature can be Konshin or Shipov. The first signature has three times the value of a Shipov's note.

Konshin or Shipov signature

two Shipov notes with different cashiers' signatures

On the back side of the note, as well as in the watermark, Peter the Great (Czar Peter I) is depicted.
He ruled the Russian Czardom and later the Russian Empire. He ruled until his death on 8 February 1725.
He died at the age of 52 years.

Peter the Great on 500 rubles - Russia  N°4

Peter the Great painted by Delaroche

On the right hand side of Peter the Great, an impressive lady figures. She is holding a scepter with the Imperial eagle on the top.

Lady figure on 500 ruble  - 1912

Imperial Eagle

And as if the note is n't impressive enough, the number "500" appears not less then 15 times on the note.
Just to make sure it's  a 500 rubles note. I doubt however if many Russians ever saw that note in their time.
Representing more or less 2 year income for most labourers, this note only circulated among the rich or to do larger transactions..


So far the 1905-1912 set of banknotes. Other to follow in later posts.

Banknotes of Russia 06

The second last note from the Russian series 1905-1912, is a 100 rubles note.
An impressive note, not from the size yet alone.

The front side is in the style of the other notes of this set.

100 ruble note Russia 1910 - N°13

On the left hand side, we see the date 1910 (n°1)

All notes have a full serial number (n°2) and two signatures (n°4 and 5)
The first signature can be Konshin or Shipov, where the first signature is the most valuable.
The signature of the cashier (n°5) can vary.

signature of Konshin and Shipov

two different cashiers' signatures

On the right upper corner, there's the monogram of Czar Nicholas II (n°3).

Monogram of Czar Nicholas II

In the white part on the left side, there is a watermark of Catharine (the Great) II (1762-96).
On the back side of this note, we see an even more impressive design.
Here we find an engraved portrait of Catharine the Great.

engraved portrait of Catharine the Great

Next to the Empress, an young boy soldier is depicted. With one hand on the heart and one holding a sword, the seems to tell the bearer of the note, that he's willing to give his life for the Empress.

boy soldier

On the other side of the Empress, a bit less obvious, is her monogram.
As you will observe, the monogram shows an E and not a C or K for Catharine.
And even Catharine was not her given name when she was born. She actually was born as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg. She was married the Peter III, the Russian Emperor.
After Peter III was assassinated, she took over power.
Because of the emperial marriage, she changed her name to Yekaterina Alexeyevna. But as you see, the monogram also doesn't show a Y ... The E comes from the Russian translation of her name : Екатерина Алексеевна.

Monogram of Yekaterina (Екатерина) the Great

back side of 100 ruble Russia 1910 - N°13

This massive note (258 x 121 mm) is not too expensive to have in your collection, but almost always it's a folded version. As even for large wallets, the note is way to large to be kept unfolded.
And this is not even the largest note in this set!

to be continued...

Banknotes of Russia 05

For this item on Russian banknotes, I continue the 1909-1912 set.

The 25 rubles note is already a large banknote (178 x 108 mm).
In 1909 25 rubles represented more or less 10% of the average year income of a Russian worker.
As the people of Saint Petersburg were 'better' off, let's say for them, 25 rubles was a monthly income.
1 ruble equals 100 kopeks. 15 kopeks was needed to buy one pound of second quality meat.

Although the banknote relatively has a high value, the catalogue prices are quite low as the banknote was printed in large amount.

front side of 25 rubles note in 1909

The 25 rubles note was only issued in one version, dated 1909 (N°1).
It has a full serial number (N°2).

The signatures are similar to the other notes in this set.
Similar to the previous issues, the Shipov signature (N°3) is more common.

2 signatures on the 25 rubles note (1909)

Under the Konshin (or Shipov) signature, a variety of cashiers' signatures can be found.

Shipov and cashier signature 1909

The back side of the note looks quite empty. The colour pattern goes from carmin red on the left to deep green on the right size.
The red area looks empty, but there we can find the watermark. This watermark is the portrait of Czar Alexander III, witch is repeated on the right (green) part of the note.

back side of 25 rubles 1909

portrait of Czar Alexander III

Besides the 3, 5, 10 and 25 rubles note, this set has two more notes...
To be continued...