Already in the middle of the 18th century there was a need to reform the system cash payment in Tsarist Russia. The main unit of account at that time were silver and copper coins, the value of which was the universal equivalent in the country. However, not as much of the necessary metals were mined as required, and the cost of production was very high. Back in 1762, Peter III made an attempt to create a state bank that would issue paper money - banknotes up to 1000 rubles, but his project was not implemented.

We returned to the plan, release paper money, in 1769, when the Assignation Bank was established. Then they were printed banknotes in denominations of 25, 50, 75 and 100 rubles. Their distinctive feature there was the presence of a figured ornamental frame, which contained not only the designation of the denomination and place of exchange of money in tsarist Russia, but also embossed symbols, which served as protection against counterfeiting. In addition, there were additional watermarks along the edges, and coats of arms in the corners.

In 1818, the banknotes were replaced - the previous paper money, which was in circulation on the territory of Tsarist Russia, was too easily counterfeited. Now they were issued on special, more secure material by the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers, located in St. Petersburg. On the front side of the banknotes there was now a Masonic coat of arms eagle with drooping wings. In addition, the banknotes were signed personally by the cashier who issued them, and also had a facsimile signature of the manager - Prince Khovansky, different for each denomination. On the reverse side the price of the bill was indicated in words. Banknotes were made from special cast paper, which was blue for 5 rubles, pink for 10, and white for higher rubles. In addition, during the reform, a banknote with a face value of 200 rubles was introduced.

The catalogs of paper banknotes of Tsarist Russia provide approximate prices for banknotes and the cost of banknotes from the period 1769 – 1817. As a rule, it exceeds one hundred thousand rubles; it is not uncommon for sales when the auction price exceeds a million. Price for banknotes 1818 – 1843 Naturally, somewhat lower, but for less than 50 thousand it is practically impossible to purchase them, even in not the best, satisfactory condition.

The next monetary reform in Tsarist Russia occurred in 1843, when first credit cards, equating the value indicated on them to a silver coin. On the front side was the already familiar coat of arms of the Russian Empire, as well as an indication of the denomination and signature of the persons responsible for the issue, including the director of the state bank. In addition, numbers were also printed on this part of the banknote, and each denomination had its own font. The denomination of the banknote was also duplicated in text and digital form, and on the reverse side there was an excerpt from the tsar’s manifesto on the circulation of banknotes. To protect paper money from counterfeiting, this information was typed in three different fonts in a strictly defined sequence.

In connection with the development of printing and the improvement of printing quality, since 1866 it was decided to issue banknotes of a higher level of security. They were created by intaglio printing using special inks and rosettes. The obverse was now decorated with imperial regalia and facsimile signatures responsible persons, and on the reverse side were portraits of famous rulers of Tsarist Russia. Moreover, a distinctive feature banknotes in circulation since 1866, there was the presence of watermarks with halftones.

Prices indicated in catalogs of Russian banknotes, even for the most common credit notes of the mid-19th century, start from 10 - 15 thousand. Very few banknotes from this period have survived, since all of them were exchanged without any restrictions for quite a long time. More detailed information on the cost of paper money from this period can be found in specialized catalogs on bonistics.

In 1887, new paper money appeared, made using two-color printing, the decoration of which was made in the “Russian-Byzantine” decorative style. These banknotes were also distinguished by the presence of silk threads pressed into them, which increased the degree of protection. The 1 and 3 ruble banknotes of this issue were formally valid until 1922; they remained in circulation until the first monetary reforms of the Soviet regime - however, they were gradually withdrawn as new banknotes were printed.

Since 1892, paper money in Tsarist Russia became multi-colored - when creating them, iridescent, iridescent colors, the so-called “Oryol print” were used. Implying the use of a single cliche to form a multi-color image. In the style of banknotes from 1892 to 1895. images of a woman were used, symbolizing the great Russia wearing the Monomakh hat.

During the Witte reform Since 1898, the need to issue new paper money has been formed. Their main difference from old banknotes was the indication that credit notes could be exchanged for gold. In addition, the 50 ruble banknote was fundamentally updated, it began to be issued with a portrait of Emperor Nicholas 1, and a new 500 ruble credit card with a portrait of Peter 1 appeared.

The last banknotes of Tsarist Russia were issued in 1905-1913. They contained metallographic printing of up to 5 colors on one side of the paper, and also featured a completely new style, which involved the use of complex ornaments for banknotes of 3, 5 and 10 rubles. 25 rubles became portrait, with the image of Alexander 3. During printing, banknotes in denominations of 100 and 500 rubles underwent some updating.

Approximate prices for banknotes of Tsarist Russia of the late 19th and early 20th centuries are indicated in the articles on this site dedicated to these banknotes.

The first paper money appeared in China in the 8th century. Few details of their appeal survive, but it is known that almost immediately they triggered runaway inflation. Almost a thousand years later, in the first half of the 18th century, the Englishman John Law appeared in Europe with the idea of ​​​​introducing paper money, but his proposals to quickly enrich the treasury were rejected by the monarchs. After a long promotion of his plan, understanding was achieved with the regent of the young French king Louis XV. A bank was established that issued interest-bearing bonds in exchange for deposits in gold and silver coin. Law took part of the proceeds for himself, the rest went to the French treasury. At first, everything went well, until competitors began to spread rumors, because of which crowds of investors rushed to take their money. As a result, due to the low supply of coins, the bank collapsed. These were not exactly banknotes, rather a financial pyramid, but in many ways the similarities with the paper money of the future were visible.

Considering the huge interest in everything French, Russia simply could not help but know about all this. However, the idea of ​​quick replenishment state budget turned out to be stronger than any prejudice. The first project for introducing paper money was considered during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, but the Senate did not approve the idea. Preparations for the issue of banknotes began when Peter III ascended the throne; drafts of notes in denominations of 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rubles were even prepared. The palace coup, organized in 1762 by the emperor’s wife Catherine, put an end to all endeavors.

The next Russian-Turkish war that began in 1768 required large expenses. There was a catastrophic shortage of silver and gold in the treasury; there was even a shortage of copper coins, despite the discovery of large deposits of copper ore in the Urals and Siberia. On December 29, 1768 (old style), a manifesto was issued on the establishment of exchange banks for issuing banknotes. On February 2, the manifesto was published. Initially, two banks were created in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and in 1772-1778 an additional 22 exchange offices were opened in other cities.

It was planned to issue tickets worth 2.5 million rubles and provide them with 2 million in coins. Capital banks received 50 thousand rubles for expenses (paper production, printing, organization of exchange). To bolster the interest of the population, 5% of banknotes were accepted as payment of taxes and fees, the rest in coin. Unlike John Law's notes, no interest was paid for holding money in banknotes. In this way they were similar to bills of exchange, known long before, but unlike them they could act as a means of payment.

The first banknotes were in denominations of 25, 50, 75 and 100 rubles, made in a uniform style with one-sided printing. Very few copies have survived to this day, and the paint on them has faded and parts of the design are difficult to see. Each banknote has a frame, in the upper part of which there are two ovals with drawings (on the left - a port, an eagle, banners, cannons, cannonballs; on the right - a rock above the sea), at the bottom there is an inscription about the bank’s exchange of the banknote for a coin and numerous signatures of the bank’s managers. The denomination is indicated in words only. On the money of the Moscow Bank it is indicated “Moscow Bank”, on the money of St. Petersburg - “St. Petersburg Bank”. The notes were marked with the date of issue, and not the date of the sample, as now. The watermarks were made in the form of the inscriptions: “love for the fatherland”, “acts for the benefit of it”, “state treasury”. That is, with all its appearance, paper money reminded of the patriotic duty of the citizens of the empire.

(from the exhibition of the Goznak Museum)

If we consider that the average wage of a worker was 15-20 rubles per month, and the peasants mainly lived off their own farms, it becomes clear that only the wealthy segments of society could afford banknotes. Due to their high value, counterfeiters immediately began to work on them. The most common counterfeit was changing the word “twenty” on a 20-ruble note to “seventy”, which turned it into a 75-ruble note. It was necessary to cancel the issue of 75-ruble notes in 1771 and stop accepting them in all payments.

The main purpose of issuing banknotes, which was communicated to the public, was to simplify the circulation of copper coins, which then occupied the bulk of all coins. The manifesto contains the following words: “the burden of the copper coin, approving it own price, the treatment also burdens her.” By exchanging copper (or other) money for paper, it was possible to easily transport large sums and also store them. At first, the free exchange for coins and back aroused great confidence among the population in paper money, but the government could not resist the temptation to repeatedly continue circulation, providing them less and less.

The fall of the paper ruble and new issues

In 1786, the exchange rate of the paper ruble had already dropped by 1-2 kopecks against the coin, which caused concern to the government. It is not surprising, because by this time there were already not 2, but 46 million rubles in banknotes in circulation! Of course, there weren’t enough coins to exchange, so payments were often delayed. Count I.I. Shuvalov proposed the following plan: issue an additional 54 million rubles in banknotes and begin issuing loans with them as collateral. At the same time, the amounts intended for issuance were clearly divided. Borrowers had to repay the entire amount, including interest, within a specified period.

The Moscow Bank was abolished, the issue was now carried out only by the St. Petersburg Bank (analogous to the modern State Bank). To emphasize the importance of the actions being taken, all old banknotes were confiscated and new ones were issued, with additional denominations - 5 and 10 rubles on blue and red paper (hence the names of the “blue” and “red” banknotes). The colors of the 5- and 10-ruble bills were maintained with short interruptions until 1992.

The government assured that the volume of banknotes had reached its limit and would not be increased under any circumstances. The bank, in addition to issuing money, had to perform some other functions to replenish the state treasury. The treasury received part of the banknotes for its own needs at a small percentage, and part on a gratuitous basis. For this, the bank had the right to independently issue issues at its own discretion and gained some independence from the state.

By the end of the reign of Catherine II, due to constant wars, active development of the capital, and enrichment of palaces, the issue of banknotes reached 150 million rubles, and their security was only 20%. The situation was further aggravated by the restriction on issuing coins to one person. The paper ruble was now unofficially given only 68 kopecks.

Paul I sought to rectify the situation; for this purpose, the official exchange rate was announced - 70 kopecks, then 60 kopecks. But these innovations did not bring any significant results. The emission continued in uncontrolled volumes, and the exchange rate fell and reached 25 kopecks by the end of the first decade of the 19th century. Unissued banknotes of a new type of 1802-1803 are known; apparently, it was planned to improve the economy by replacing money.

Another attempt to rectify the situation was the manifesto of Alexander I in 1810, which announced the stop of issue (except for the replacement of old banknotes) and the mandatory redemption of banknotes in circulation. For this purpose, a loan of 100 million rubles in banknotes was organized, the received paper money was publicly burned in front of the bank building to show the decrease in the amount of money and increase the confidence of the population. In the same manifesto, the silver ruble was officially recognized as the basis of monetary circulation, and copper and small silver coins became exchangeable coins. Additionally, the rate of banknotes for government fees increased, and new transactions had to be conducted only in paper money.

Napoleonic forgeries

The paper ruble, strengthening as a result of all the measures, faced a new test, which it was no longer able to withstand. The Napoleonic army that invaded Russia in 1812 brought not only destruction, but also counterfeit money. They were prepared by a private organization commissioned by Napoleon himself. The experience of undermining the economy of a state by introducing a large number of fakes has already been mastered in Europe; moreover, this made it possible to supply the army with food on foreign territory.

Bags of counterfeit banknotes (only 25 and 50 rubles are known) were carried along with all the equipment, and along the way they were used for payments in the villages. The peasants were not willing to accept money from the French, but in general they did not refuse, since purchases were made at high prices. No one could have thought that the great emperor would condescend to graduate counterfeit money. But soon the shortcomings of the banknotes began to emerge, which were clearly visible among certain dates. Firstly, the corners were cut much smoother than the real thing, and some copies even had grammatical errors.

Now collectors know of four types of counterfeit banknotes: with the word “hot coin” instead of “hot coin”; with the word “state” instead of “state”; with two errors; and also without errors. The latter differs only in the technology of cutting corners.

Latest attempts to restore the hardness of the paper ruble

The mass production of counterfeits greatly undermined the already shaky trust in paper money; the exchange rate reached 20 kopecks. By 1817, there were already 836 million rubles in banknotes in circulation. Starting this year, several more will be organized government loans banknotes. Some loans are interest-bearing, and some are accepted immediately with a premium to the amount. This all reduced the money supply, but the exchange rate rose only by 5 kopecks.

(from the exhibition of the Goznak Museum)

To get rid of counterfeits, in 1819 another exchange of all banknotes was made for new ones, and the old ones were declared invalid and not accepted for payments. The new money began to have a more complex design, but remained one-sided. An additional 200 ruble banknote has been introduced. It was planned to issue a denomination of 20 rubles, but it remained in a trial version.

(from the exhibition of the Goznak Museum)

Minister of Finance E.F. Kankrin in 1839 abolished the exchange of paper money for coins. The issuance of interest on deposits is carried out only in banknotes, which now have a strict rate of 30 kopecks in silver, and the issuance of coins in one hand is limited to 100 rubles. For this purpose, special copper coins were issued with the designation “silver kopecks”, having big size. Acceptance of banknotes in government payments stops.

Credit tickets

Reform E.F. Kankrina. Silver standard

Various ideas have been put forward to improve the economy. Emperor Nicholas I proposed introducing tickets on which investors could make a profit as a percentage, but this was already carried out in the second decade of the 19th century and led to negative consequences. Instead of an increase in silver in the treasury, it increased state debt. Therefore, the reform organized by E.F. Kankrin in 1839-1843 meant the introduction of new paper money, not government loans. Loans at interest were handled by savings banks established in 1842 (the predecessors of the modern Sberbank).

The first stage of the reform was the formation of an exchange fund in silver coins. For this purpose, they organized a depository office and, from January 1, 1840, issued deposit tickets in denominations from 3 to 25 rubles, which were replenished a year later with 1, 50 and 100 rubles. Deposits were accepted in silver and gold coins and were issued completely freely to depositors without limiting the amount. There were so many people willing to invest money that there were queues at the exchange offices. In the first year, we managed to collect 24 million rubles in coins.

Deposit notes were completely identical to the first banknotes, but were supported by stable reserves of coins in the treasury. The basis of monetary circulation for 20 years has been the silver ruble, and in order to also use copper, large-sized copper coins are issued with the designation “silver kopecks.” In this way, the government managed to completely equate all three types of coins - gold, silver and copper, but payments were still carried out in silver.

(from the exhibition of the Goznak Museum)

The summer of 1841 brought the country little harvest, it was necessary to start purchasing abroad, so the untouchable exchange fund began to gradually melt. At the end of the year, a Loan Bank was organized, which issued credit notes with a face value of 50 rubles, partially backed by silver. Tickets were issued mainly against real estate, but there was also a direct exchange for silver.

On June 1, 1843, the last stage of the reform was carried out: all existing paper money was exchanged for new credit notes of the 1843 model in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 rubles. The exchange was made 1:1 for deposit notes and Loan Bank notes, and for banknotes at the rate of 3 rubles 50 kopecks per new ruble. Credit notes were required to be backed by at least 1/3 silver and gold coins. Since 1860, the issue of bank notes was taken over by the created National Bank, which replaced the Commercial Bank.

Simple exchange without any restrictions contributed to increasing the population's confidence in credit notes; they circulated freely and were willingly accepted in all payments. The exchange fund was sufficient in reserve, and the surplus went to state needs. Because of economic crisis in other European countries, many foreigners came to Russia to exchange their savings for hard credit notes.

In their artistic design, the credit notes were similar to the banknotes of the latest issues: a figured frame indicating the denomination, inside which there is information about the mandatory size for a gold or silver coin, and signatures officials. On the back, against the background of the state emblem, were excerpts from the Supreme Manifesto on credit notes.

Credit notes in the second half of the 19th century

For 10 years, credit notes remained a hard form of money, and due to their convenient use, they were in great demand among the population. But, like any paper money, sooner or later they would depreciate. The reason was uncontrolled emissions to cover government expenses during the Crimean War. By 1858, a paper ruble was already worth 80 kopecks. This further provoked queues at the change desks, and consequently reduced confidence in credit tickets.

(from the exhibition of the Goznak Museum)

Previously, silver and gold were accumulated by the population, and to normalize money circulation, all that remained was to find a way to extract it (for example, through loans). Now precious metals were going abroad, the population was buying up more stable British pounds. The shortage of silver coins was partially eliminated by reducing the weight, and then the standard of 5, 10, 15 and 20 kopecks in silver. The coins became smaller and contained only less than half the precious metal. They also limited the issuance of coins to one person - no more three rubles, the rest was to be issued in credit notes.

Improvements in the financial system that emerged in the 1860s made it possible to raise the exchange rate of the paper ruble, but the next Russian-Turkish War again forced the resort to mass printing of banknotes, which quickly reduced their value to an average of 66 kopecks.

In 1881, with the coming to power of Alexander III, previously printed credit notes with a face value of 25 rubles, modeled on one-sided English pounds, came into circulation. The population's trust in pounds should have transferred to these tickets, but the experiment did not show significant results. Trying to fight a huge paper money supply accumulated among the population, the emperor signs a decree to stop issuing banknotes, of which there were already more than a billion rubles. The decree envisaged an annual reduction of paper money by 50 million, but over 10 years it was possible to confiscate approximately only 150 million rubles worth of tickets.

The appearance of the banknotes did not remain unchanged. In 1866, new banknotes of the same denominations appeared, but portraits of Russian rulers appeared on large ones for the first time in history. On 5 rubles - Dmitry Donskoy, on 10 - Mikhail Fedorovich, on 25 - Alexey Mikhailovich, on 50 - Peter I, and on 100 rubles - Catherine II. It is unknown why the artist chose them, and on what basis the portraits were selected for each denomination. Already at the end of the 1880s, new tickets were issued in denominations from 1 to 25 rubles, without portraits, and 50 rubles were no longer printed. The 100 rubles that lasted the longest were issued unchanged until 1896; they had a rainbow background, which was then the pinnacle of printing art. The portrait of Catherine II on the 100-ruble banknote will survive the subsequent reform (with a change in the design of the banknote), will last until the Revolution, and will be called “Katenka”.

Tickets of the same design could be issued under different rulers, with only the emperor's monogram changing. For example, 100 rubles were with the monogram of Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II. Until 1898, money was marked with the date of issue, after which they began to indicate the date of the sample. In the 1890s, pre-reform tickets in denominations of 5, 10 and 25 rubles were updated for the last time; they received complex, highly artistic design in the spirit of imperial times.

Reform S.Yu. Witte. gold standard

At the beginning of the reign of Nicholas II, the Minister of Finance was a competent politician and economist Sergei Yulievich Witte. Back in 1895, he proposed transferring the Russian monetary system to the gold standard, that is, each ruble would be expressed in a certain amount of gold, and silver and copper coins would become small change. Due to the clear link to gold, the depreciation of money theoretically became impossible.

It was necessary to gently, without unnecessary shocks, equate the new ruble to 1.5 old (at the established exchange rate). And there were plenty of shocks at that time: growing distrust in government, strikes and revolutionary movements, terrorism.

The largest gold coin with a face value of 10 rubles was then unofficially called the imperial. New coins of the same weight were developed, denominated not only in rubles, but also in imperials: “IMPERIAL. 10 RUBLES GOLD”, there was also a semi-imperial. At the same time, attempts were made to call the largest coin “Rus” or “Rus”. All this did not go beyond trial copies. Instead of new money, they decided to simply exchange the old 10 rubles for the new 15; for this purpose, in 1897, coins with a face value of 15 and 7.5 rubles were issued in mass circulation, weighing 10 and 5 old rubles, respectively. And the new 10 rubles reduced the weight by one and a half times, and they were equated to 10 new “golden” paper rubles.

But in order to introduce a new type of credit notes, a significant exchange fund in gold coin was needed. Until this time, little attention was paid to gold; it was not in great demand. To create a reserve fund, 20 years before the reform, decrees began to be issued on the preferential acceptance of gold coins in government payments and as duties, as well as foreign currency in golden terms. Additionally, deposits are being introduced that are accepted in gold in exchange for deposit receipts.

Since 1895, many government levies began to be expressed in gold and were calculated daily at the metal reception rate. The silver ruble began to be equal to 17.424 shares of pure gold, that is, 0.774 grams. This was exactly 2/3 of the weight of the old-style gold ruble. Old type paper money is accepted at the rate of 15:10. That is, the population gradually mastered payments in gold bars, the paper form of which was to become credit notes.

New credit notes were issued into circulation in 1898. The denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10 and 25 rubles remained the same design, but instead of indicating the obligatory exchange for a silver coin, an inscription appeared on them indicating the exchange of each ruble for 17.424 shares of pure gold, or 1/15 of an imperial. The name “imperial” is transferred to the 15-ruble coin. Brand new banknotes of 50, 100 and 500 rubles appear with portraits of Nicholas I, Catherine II and Peter I, respectively. Old gold coins were not withdrawn and were equal to 1.5 new ones. Silver and copper coins appearance and the weights were not changed, but became a secondary means of payment. The issue of banknotes was limited to at least 50% backing in gold coin, and the issue of over 600 million had to be fully backed by gold.

Among influential circles there were many opponents of the reform, who believed that Russia was not ready for the transition to the gold standard, unlike more developed countries. The prosperous existence of a monetary system of this type was possible only if there was a large gold reserve, and in the event of the slightest shock it would go abroad. And so it happened strong ruble lasted only 16 years.

Money circulation at the beginning of the 20th century

Russia entered the new century with stable paper money backed by large gold reserves. Even the Russo-Japanese War had only a minor impact on emissions. Instead of issuing all banknotes, the government focused on printing low-denomination notes. At the same time, 3 rubles of a new type appeared, which were printed in the first months of Soviet times.

Under Nicholas II, many reforms were aimed at the flourishing of autocracy, despite the growth in the number of revolutionary movements. The changes did not spare money either. In 1909-1912, new banknotes from 5 to 500 rubles were issued, made with excesses of artistic design in the Baroque spirit. On them, in richly decorated figured frames, there were portraits of Russian emperors, there were images of complex architectural elements, a multi-color background, and microtext. Of particular note is the 500 rubles of the 1912 model with a portrait of Peter I and a full-length female figure, symbolizing Russia. Only 50 rubles, a ruble and 3 rubles were left unchanged.

Money turnover reached unprecedented heights, and it seemed that nothing threatened him anymore. To confirm this, it is worth citing a few numbers. At the beginning of 1914, there were about 2.5 billion rubles in circulation in banknotes and coins of all types. Of these, 1664 million rubles were in credit notes, 494.2 million in gold coins, 226 million in silver and 18 million in copper coins. At the same time, the gold reserves of the State Bank covered credit notes by 31 million rubles. That is, according to the 1898 manifesto, it was allowed to issue more than 300 million rubles in paper money without increasing the exchange fund.

After Russia joined the First in 1914 World War uncontrolled emissions began. In just three years, the number of credit notes grew to 10 billion rubles, and the exchange rate of the paper ruble again began to fluctuate. At the beginning of 1917, only 25 kopecks were given for it, and in Europe it was quoted at the rate of 0.56 to a gold coin. Silver and gold began to disappear from the population, and coin production ceased.

In 1915, instead of silver coins, stamp money appeared in denominations of 10, 15 and 20 kopecks, modeled after postage stamps for the 300th anniversary of the Romanovs. They were produced in sheets of 100 pieces with perforations for tearing. On the front side there were portraits of the emperors, on the reverse side the coat of arms and denomination were depicted in numbers and words. At the same time, the copper coin is gradually being replaced by banknotes in denominations of 1, 2, 3 and 5 kopecks, and a 50-kopeck bill also appears. 10, 15 and 20 kopecks of this type did not come into circulation and are now considered rare. Next year, stamp money will be issued in denominations of 1, 2 and 3 kopecks. The minting of copper coins stopped completely in 1917, and silver coins in 1916. Gold coins have not been issued since 1911.

Money of the Provisional Government

After the February Revolution, representatives of the former State Duma and other political figures came to power and formed the Provisional Government. To begin the reforms that opponents of the tsarist government were waiting for, it was necessary to increase the issue of paper money. In 8 months, 9.5 billion rubles were printed in credit tickets.

Banknotes have been issued without changes for many years; the only differences were in the signatures of the manager and cashier, as well as in the number series. By comparing all these parameters, collectors can determine the exact year of printing, since all are marked only with the date of the sample. For example, a ruble with the date “1898” was signed by the manager Pleske, who was at the helm of the State Bank until 1903, then Timashev took his place, and in 1910 Konshin. Among the rubles with the signature “I. Shipov" there are four main types: 1914-1916, 6 digits in the number; 1916, 3 digits in the number; Provisional Government Issue and Soviet Government Issue. There were also local issues of the Arkhangelsk province with perforation “GBSO”; they exist with different numbers and signatures. A novice collector picks up a banknote with the date “1898” and does not even suspect that it was issued under Soviet rule, although the majority of such banknotes exist.

In addition to the tsarist-style banknotes, in the summer of 1917, the production of completely new 1000 ruble banknotes with the coat of arms of the Provisional Government began: a double-headed eagle without crowns (similar to the modern emblem of the Central Bank). On the front side of this money there was an image of the State Duma building, for which they were nicknamed “Dumka” or “Duma money”. In the fall, by decree of the Prime Minister Kerensky, small cards with denominations of 20 and 40 rubles were issued in uncut sheets of 40 pieces; they immediately received the nickname “Kerenki”. Also in September, the issue of 250 ruble banknotes began. Some are horrified to discover a swastika on banknotes of the Provisional Government, which is not noticeable upon a quick inspection. In fact, this symbol had not yet been taken by the Nazis and meant peaceful existence, but it appeared long before that in India.

Under the Provisional Government, money-stamps in denominations of 1, 2 and 3 kopecks continued to be issued instead of small change coins. They were distinguished by the presence of a black overprint in the form of a denomination number on the front side. Under Soviet rule, at first these denominations were also printed, but on the reverse side, instead of the coat of arms, the denomination was repeated in black paint.

1. Gusakov A.D. "Monetary circulation in pre-revolutionary Russia." – M., 1954.

2. Gusakov A.D. "Essays on the monetary circulation of Russia." – M.: Gosfinizdat, 1946.

3. Shchelokov A.A. "Paper money. Historical facts, legends, discoveries."

Photos provided by site users: Shurik92, Letta, Kuzbass, Admin, MushrO_Om

"D banknotes and banknotes are the most objective and eloquent documents of history, not only due to their official origin, but also in view of their social and market significance, as indicators of material well-being and relationships between various social classes at a given historical moment... In addition, bonds and banknotes symbolize contemporary political events, wars, party struggles, changes of government, ideology of the ruling classes. The evolution of society, revolutionary leaps and shifts in social classes, victories and defeats of those fighting, open and hidden behind-the-scenes influences on a given government - all this is reflected in the bonds and banknotes of the era.

Artistically, banknotes and bonds often represent a rich collection of examples of modern graphic art, masterpieces of national beautiful and stylish designs, ornaments, symbolic or realistic images, unique compositions of plots and color combinations, which speak a lot about a given era to a thoughtful observer. Finally, even the technical execution of certain bonds and banknotes already speaks a lot to the inquisitive mind of a person, focusing his attention on the quality of paper, drawings and paints that characterize the paper, chemical and mosquito industries of modern industry. Next - the printing work itself, the production and execution of watermarks, if any - all of this to some extent characterizes modern technology and printing. In short, paper banknotes and bonds serve as an indicator of culture,

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economic development

and the well-being of the people, their social and political structure, the mirror of which reflects their entire history."

Voltaire was right when he said that whoever does not know the past does not know the present, nor the future, nor himself.

To complete the lengthy and sometimes abstract reasoning, it should be noted that these colored pieces of paper and metal rounds were held in the hands of your great-grandfathers and great-great-grandmothers. It is difficult to express what feelings and thoughts overwhelmed them at this time; what they planned, what they were afraid of, what they achieved, what they were happy about... But there is no doubt that a whole storm of feelings, emotions, thoughts and actions were caused by each of these wonderful creations.

Banknotes of the Russian Empire, issued during the period of their free exchange for gold coins.

IN At the end of the 19th century, the rapid socio-economic development of Russia prompted the government to radically change the entire structure of monetary circulation. On August 29, 1897, the Sovereign Emperor signed a new emission law, which regulated the issue of banknotes into circulation and the principles of their backing in gold. In accordance with this law, the State Bank was allowed to issue credit notes in the amount of 600 million rubles. on the basis that their coverage with gold would be 50% of this amount and the remaining 50% would be issued on the security of private commercial bills for real estate and land. When issuing banknotes in excess of 600 million rubles. Each credit ruble in excess must be 100% backed by gold.

With the adoption of this law, which provided for the free exchange of banknotes for gold, the need arose to place a new explanatory text on banknotes. The inscription on previously issued tickets stated that they circulated throughout the Russian Empire on the same level as a silver coin and were exchanged by the State Bank cash desk for gold money not at face value, but in accordance with the exchange rate of the gold coin relative to the silver one. Since the rate of gold constantly increased relative to silver, and the weight and fineness of the coins remained unchanged, over time the purchasing power of gold coins became higher. By the 1890s, the country had developed an obscene pricing system in which different nominal prices had to be paid for the same product depending on the coinage metal. The law of August 29, 1897, eliminated this contradiction by establishing the gold ruble as the only and absolute measure of the value of a product. But after the introduction of the system of gold monometalism in the country (the so-called monetary system based on the golden number), the habit that had taken root over decades of the old rules for expressing prices led to misunderstandings in calculations and even to abuses. The victims, as a rule, were rich foreigners or, on the contrary, illiterate sections of the population. The law of November 14, 1897 “On changing the inscriptions on credit notes” provided the following text: “The state bank exchanges credit notes for a gold coin without restrictions on the amount (rubles = 1/15 imperial, contains 17,424 shares of pure gold). State credit notes tickets are in circulation throughout the Empire on a par with a gold coin." Credit notes of previous issues were withdrawn from circulation as they naturally wore out and therefore the mass share of new credit notes in monetary circulation was constantly growing and from the beginning of the twentieth century to 1917 they formed the basis of cash.

Here, apparently, it would not be superfluous to explain some old-regime terms, the meaning of which has now been thoroughly forgotten. Some of them are found in the inscriptions of ancient credit notes and raise questions among us, people of modern times. People of the century before last knew them well. Firstly, what does 17.424 shares of pure gold mean? Is this a lot or a little? Share what? Everything becomes clearer if we recall the Russian premetric system of weights and measures, according to which: 1 pood = 40 Russian pounds = 16.380 kg; 1 Russian pound = 96 spools = 409.512 g; 1 spool = 96 shares = 4.26 g; 1 share = 0.044 g. Thus, a share is an old Russian unit of weight equal to 0.044 grams. It follows that one gold ruble was equivalent to 0.044 x 17.424 = 0.766656 g of pure gold (1000 fineness). If desired, taking into account current gold prices, you can calculate the value of the old regime ruble in relation to the modern one. But this is just an experiment. Secondly, what is imperial? The answer is simple - this is a gold coin containing 15 rubles worth of pure gold.

If on January 1, 1897 there were 36 million rubles worth of gold coins in circulation, then after 2 years there were already 12.5 times more (451.4 million rubles). In addition to imperials (15 rubles) and half-imperials (7.5 rubles), in 1897 the minting of coins in 1/3 imperial (5 rubles) began, and at the end of 1898 the minting of gold tens (2/3 imperial) began. . In addition, all copper and silver coins from previous years were left in circulation. But silver from the main monetary metal was turned into an auxiliary medium of exchange. Payments in high-grade silver between private individuals were limited to 25 rubles, and in low-grade silver to 3 rubles per capita. It should be noted that with free exchange for gold, the population quickly lost the habit of accumulating gold coins and, for the most part, preferred paper banknotes, as they were more convenient and protected from counterfeiting.

All the banknotes received loving folk nicknames: the ruble - “saffron milk cap” and “konaryka”, the three ruble - “green”, the five-ruble note - “plum”, the ten - “red”, the longed-for dream of a Russian loyal subject - the hundred-ruble note became “katenka”, and the weighty five-hundred-ruble note was respectfully was called "Peter". In 1914, with the outbreak of the 1st World War, the exchange of credit notes for gold was stopped with the wording “temporarily until the end of hostilities.” But subsequent historical processes led to the complete collapse of the Empire and obligations Russian ministry finances were never destined to come true. Tsarist credit notes of this type were in circulation both under the Provisional Government and under Lenin. They lost their payment power and were withdrawn from circulation during the Soviet monetary reform 1922. State credit notes issued with a new legislative inscription according to the law of November 14, 1897 are displayed below.

State credit card of the 1898 model with a face value of 1 ruble. Issued from 1898 to 1917. In the conditions of the 1st World War, from 1915 they were printed without an individual six-digit number, which was replaced by a series designation of two letters and three numbers to speed up production. At the beginning of the twentieth century, this 1 ruble banknote could be a very good daily earnings hired worker on heavy physical work. The color of the ruble banknote in the Russian Empire and the USSR was unchanged across all issues and governments until 1991.

State credit card, model 1905, with a nominal value of 3 rubles. Produced from 1905 to 1917. At the beginning of the 20th century, this bill could be used to pay for a cart of good hay or a train ticket from Penza to Moscow. The color of the three-ruble bill in the Russian Empire and the USSR was unchanged across all issues and governments until 1991.

State credit card of the 1909 model with a face value of 5 rubles. The banknote was issued from 1909 to 1917. Under the Provisional Government in the conditions of the 1st World War from 1917, it was printed without an individual six-digit number, which, to speed up production, was replaced by a designation of a series of two letters and three numbers (this option is shown in the illustration ). At the beginning of the twentieth century, this bill could be the monthly salary of a hired cook (with the owner's grub) or the monthly salary of a waiter in an unpresentable tavern (excluding tips). The color of the five-ruble bill in the Russian Empire and the USSR was unchanged across all issues and governments until 1991.

State credit card, model 1909, with a face value of 10 rubles. At the beginning of the twentieth century, this bill could be used to pay for the production of two small-format photographic portraits, each of which was reproduced in twelve duplicates. The color of the ten-ruble bill in the Russian Empire and the USSR was unchanged across all issues and governments until 1991.

State credit card, model 1909, with a face value of 25 rubles. At the beginning of the 20th century, this bill could be used to pay for the entire family’s seasonal accommodation at a rented dacha in Akhuny or to pay for a child’s annual education in one of the Penza gymnasiums. The color of the reverse side of the 25-ruble bill in the Russian Empire and the USSR was unchanged across all issues and governments until 1991.

State credit card of the 1899 model with a face value of 50 rubles. Despite the apparent simplicity of its design, this banknote is still the most counterfeit-proof banknote. Until now, no one has been able to produce a high-quality printed fake of it. Therefore, the Ministry of Finance made an unprecedented decision to issue it without watermarks, since the printing means used were sufficient to protect it. At the beginning of the twentieth century, this bill could be the monthly salary of a mid-level municipal official or a school teacher.

State credit card of the 1910 model with a face value of 100 rubles. At the beginning of the twentieth century, thirty such bills could be used to pay for a Ford sports car that was modern for that time.

State credit card of the 1912 model with a face value of 500 rubles. Fantastically large banknote, equivalent to 22 grams of pure gold of 1000 purity. Its owner could plan to buy a cozy wooden residential house with a mezzanine, a manor and a garden somewhere on Peski or Invalidnaya Slobodka.

Banknotes issued during the 1st World War under the Provisional Government.

And this section has a special relationship to Penza history. Or rather, “it does not have”, but is an integral, but somewhat forgotten part of it. For all these banknotes were made here, in this city.

Banknotes Soviet Russia, printed in 1919-1921 at the Penza Printing Factory of the Expedition for Procurement of State valuable papers.

IN At the beginning of 1918, red Petrograd became a front-line city and the Soviet government decided to move the capital of the young Soviet state to Moscow. Together with the government, Petrograd had to leave all Soviet government institutions, archives and enterprises that provided vital functions of the new government. Among the first to be evacuated was the Petrograd Printing Factory of the Expedition for the Procurement of State Securities (EZGSB), capable of providing the entire volume of production of state banknotes, postage stamps, securities, documentary forms and especially important certificates.

Carry out a large-scale move and start-up of the factory in a new location in short time was technically impossible. In this situation, it was decided to split the factory equipment into several technologically complete batches and evacuate them to different cities, quite remote from the front and completely controlled by the Soviet government. Special authorized representatives of the factory were sent to Samara, Saratov and Penza to clarify the situation on the ground. Each of them received a certificate signed by Lenin himself, giving broad rights to confiscate and requisition everything necessary for the establishment of EZGTS branches in the specified cities. As a result of the survey, Penza was chosen for the location of the Expedition branch, as it has a sufficient number of qualified printing workers, the presence of the Sergeev paper mill and a developed railway network. On the south-eastern outskirts of the city there were also suitable buildings - the empty buildings of the Penza Pipe Plant, the construction of which began in 1916 for the production of artillery fuses, but was stopped due to wartime difficulties and the outbreak of revolutionary anarchy.

In March 1918 V.I. Lenin sends to the manager of the Securities Expedition, Mikhail Konstantinovich Lemka, an order according to which, if necessary, all equipment and printing forms, the removal of which from Petrograd was not possible, should be destroyed. After which, as an emergency, the Expedition must leave for Penza to set up a printing factory there. First Deputy M.K. was appointed manager of the Penza branch of the Expedition. Lemke, the oldest employee of the EZGTS, who went over to the side of the Soviet government - Pavel Vasilyevich Kalakutsky. At the end of May, when the first train with unique Oryol printing machines, paper supplies and printing forms reached Penza, a mutiny of the Czechoslovak corps broke out there. During the battles for Penza and the subsequent robbery, the top-secret Oryol machines, fortunately, were not damaged, but several American type flat-bed printing machines and paper supplies were requisitioned by the Czechoslovak legionnaires for their needs. Despite numerous difficulties, in November 1918, for the first anniversary of Soviet power, commemorative postage stamps of Soviet Russia were issued at the Penza printing factory of the EZGCB. To print the stamps, clichés engraved under the previous Provisional Government were used. Therefore, on the stamps the name of the state “Russia” is still executed according to the laws of the old spelling, which by that time had already been reformed by one of the decrees of the Soviet government.

In April 1919, the production of Soviet credit notes with cliches, also made under the Provisional Government, began in Penza. In accordance with the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of May 15, 1919 “On the release into circulation of new banknotes of the 1918 model,” a large-scale issue of new banknotes of Soviet Russia was carried out, which began to serve monetary circulation on an equal basis with banknotes of previous years - tsarist ones, “ Kerenks" and "thoughts". There were no plans to withdraw banknotes from previous governments in accordance with the terms of the new banknotes. RSFSR money of this type was printed from 1919 to the beginning of 1921. “State credit notes of the 1918 model” were issued for circulation. in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 rubles. The Provisional Government failed to implement all the planned projects for its money issues, as the October Revolution prevented it. Printed forms of banknotes prepared by the Provisional Government for its financial projects, were in demand by the government of the RSFSR for issuing its banknotes under extraordinary conditions. Therefore, the banknotes of Soviet Russia did not have Soviet symbols. On them you can see historically incompatible design elements - the coat of arms of bygone bourgeois Russia and the date "1918" - that is, the year when it was already established Soviet authority. On credit tickets in the line “Manager” there is a facsimile of the chief commissioner People's Bank RSFSR G. Pyatakov. Individual ticket numbering was not provided and was replaced by series designation to speed up production.

The 10-ruble bill in pre-revolutionary Russia was popularly called “krasnenkaya”, “krasnaya” or “chervonets”.

For example, in the fourth part of the novel M.A. Sholokhov’s “Quiet Don” we read: “Miron Grigorievich, rummaging in the chest, took out a greasy scarf, untied it; rustling the crisp paper, he counted out ten “red ones.”

In the funds of the museum-reserve M.A. Sholokhov houses a collection of bonistics late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century, in which there are “red” - state credit cards in denomination of 10 rubles, model 1909.

Credit notes were issued into circulation on December 1, 1910, in accordance with the decree of April 29, 1909, were printed until 1919, and were in circulation until October 1, 1922. In terms of the number of issued letter series, 10 rubles of the 1909 series are second only to 3 rubles of the 1905 series, the most popular banknote in the monetary circulation of pre-revolutionary Russia. The ten-ruble bill was for the population the best option storage of savings: on the one hand, it was quite “expensive”, in which it was profitable to store savings, on the other hand, it was relatively accessible.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, money printing technology was booming. It was at this time that the Procurement Expedition State Papers(now the Goznak factory) attracted famous painters and engravers to cooperation - J. Reichel, A. Sauerweid, F. Lundin, P. Xydias. As a result of many years of creative searches, the image of the “Russian currency” was found.

The state credit card worth 10 rubles was decorated in light red tones with an organic interweaving of light green, light green and purple tones. Among the entire series of banknotes of the 1909 model, this was the most “colored” bill: variations in the main background of the banknote were allowed. Among the banknotes that have come down to us, there are banknotes in shades from brick to dark pink; the design on the reverse side has variations from dark purple to brownish tones. The design of the banknote showed striking features of the Art Nouveau style: many symbolic elements reflecting the well-being of the state.

The front side contained all the main useful elements of the banknote: the small state emblem of the state of the 1883 model, the denomination, the inscription about the exchange of paper money for gold, facsimile signatures of the manager and cashier, a six-digit serial number and a two-letter series were indicated.

On the reverse side of the banknote were printed three paragraphs from the decree on the rules of their circulation: “1. The exchange of State credit notes for gold coins is ensured by the entire property of the State. 2. State credit notes circulate throughout the Empire on a par with gold coins. 3. For the forgery of credit notes, those guilty are subject to deprivation of all rights of the estate and exile to hard labor.” The main composition on both the front and back sides were hanging lush clusters of all kinds of fruits and flowers, which served as a good means of protection against counterfeiting: the apparent symmetry of the composition is deceptive.

Most numismatists want to purchase a very specific 10 ruble banknote issued in 1909 for their collection. What makes it unique? Copies of this banknote were certified by the signature of three different managers of the State Bank of Russia, and it is this factor that is now decisive in establishing the value of the coin. How much can you get for a historical rarity that will be 110 years old in two years?

Historical reference

Banknotes in denomination of 10 rubles of 1909 appeared in circulation on November 1. They did not imply a complete replacement of previous paper banknotes and therefore circulated as legal tender along with banknotes of 1898.

They left circulation only on September 8, 1922, after the final establishment of Soviet power (at the end of the Civil War) and the transition to a new banknote design. Consequently, the 10-ruble banknote issued in 1909 witnessed the tsarist power, the rule of the Provisional Government and the management of the Soviets of People's Deputies.

10 rubles of 1909 have several characteristic features, including:

1. Large size – 105 mm long and 175 mm wide;
2. The banknotes are printed on thin paper of a grayish tint;
3. Banknotes circulated in Russian economy during the years of tsarist power, during the reign of the Provisional Government and the Soviets of People's Deputies, they were certified by the signatures of various managers of the Bank of Russia;
4. The design on the banknote has a vertical orientation (as opposed to the traditional horizontal);
5. The banknote is not monochromatic - it is decorated with a combination of green, red and purple shades;
6. The 10-ruble bill of 1909 is a very meaningful banknote, on the reverse side of which you can even read the rules for the circulation of paper money in Russia.

Basic characteristics of the banknote

1909 were issued between 1909 and 1917. There were no re-issues for the remainder of their circulation. What external characteristics does a banknote have?

On its front side there is the coat of arms of the Russian Empire in an elegant frame, on the sides of which there are neat tens. Under the coat of arms is the inscription: “State credit card”, the denomination and a message that banknotes in any amount are exchanged by the State Bank for coins (indicating the proportion of exchange - 1 ruble = 17,424 shares of gold). This is followed by the signatures of the manager, cashier, number and series of the banknote, as well as the year of issue.

On the reverse side you can see a diamond-shaped cartouche, enclosed in two frames and decorated with floral patterns. It contains three rules for the circulation of paper rubles in the Russian Empire:

• The possibility of exchanging banknotes for gold coins, which is provided by the state;
• Equivalence of gold and paper money throughout the country;
• Punishment of counterfeiters with hard labor and confiscation of property.

The overall appearance of the banknote is very luxurious: it is decorated with numerous frames, elegant fonts, and floral patterns. It resembles pages from books from the period of Tsarist Russia.

As for the protection of 10 rubles of 1909, this bill had a watermark in the form of small numbers indicating the denomination, which were placed directly diagonally.

Varieties of 10 rubles 1909 and their prices

Experienced numismatists distinguish as many as six varieties of the 1909 banknote with a denomination of 10 rubles, namely:

1. (A) with the signature of Timashev S., issued in 1909;
2. (B) with the signature of Konshin A., which was issued from 1910 to 1914;
3. (B) with the signature of Shipov I., series DM-KTs (1914-1916);
4. (D) with the signature of Shipov I., KCh-KG series (beginning of 1917);
5. (D) with the signature of Shipov I., PD-AM series (after the revolution);
6. (E) with the signature “Sample”.

At numismatic auctions, bills of varying quality from good to ideal are circulated, which is why you can sell 10-ruble banknotes of the above varieties in the following price range:

• 2000-3500 rubles – for option “A” (Timashev S.);
• 700-1100 rubles – for option “B” (Konshin A.);
• 200-600 rubles – for options “B”, “D” and “D” (Shipov I.);
• 500-1500 rubles – for option “E” (sample).

Thus, a 10 ruble banknote, which has passed through three historical periods - Tsarist Russia, the power of the Provisional Government and the administration of the Soviets during the Civil War, can bring its owner considerable profit. Moreover, the older the banknote, the higher its price.