Banknotes of Russia 01

Old Russian banknotes are among the largest banknotes I have in my collection.
But before I get there, let's start the proper way with number 1.

The regluar catalogue starts numbering 1898. Notes previous to that date are Russian Imperial notes and are classified with A-numbers.
As those notes are a bit harder to get, I start this item with notes issued in 1898 and later.

The first note is already worth looking at more closely.

This is the basic type of several banknotes :

sample of note n°1

As you see, some areas are blurred, and numbered.
This is a help to determine which note it is exactely.

The easiest way is to look at n°1 (the date printed on the note).
You can find 1887 - 1889 - 1894 or 1898.
Look if the monogram (n°2) is AIII (Czar Alexander III).
In this case it is an Imperial note. According the year, you will find 4 different signatures under n°4 and many different signatures under n°5
Those notes are quite valuable.

sample A54 Russian Imperial note

The same design was used under Czar Nicholas II.
Those notes all bear the date 1898, even if they were printed later.
Here, the monogram will be NII.

monogram N II

Those notes are most commom, but still worth exploring, as there are still many subtypes.

Now we have to take a closer look at the serial number.
The 1898 issue, has a full serial number (n°3) :

full serial number note n°1

Newer notes, (also dated 1898) have series numbers (2 letters HA or HB and 1, 2 or 3 numbers).

Series number HA *** - note n°15

In case of the full serial number, the banknote has catalogue number 1.
If there is a series number like above, the note (is cheaper and) is printed in 1915 or later.
Notes baring series number HA - 1 to HA 127 were printed in 1915.
All higher series numbers are notes that were printed under the Provisional Government or even the Soviet Government.

note n° 15 - printed after 1915

Finally, let's have a look at the signatures.

The notes, dated 1898 have 4 different signatures.

The 4th signature, of the State Bank Director (Ivan Shipov) is the most common,
as they are also on all notes, printed after 1898.

Under Shipov's signature, a variety of 13 different signatures of cashiers can be found.

The back side of all notes are always the same :

to be continued...