1919 - Armenia - 100 Rubles XF

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1919 - Armenia - 100 Rubles XF
CA$150.00 CA$80.00

This is a 1919 Armenian banknote for 100 Rubles, issued by the First Republic of Armenia—a highly important and desirable early national issue.

Identification

  • Country: Armenia (First Republic)

  • Denomination: 100 Rubles

  • Year: 1919

  • Printer: Waterlow & Sons Ltd., London

  • Languages: Armenian, French (République Arménienne), and Russian

  • Serial number: U.445903 (printed twice)

  • Type: National currency (not Notgeld)

Historical significance

This note was issued during Armenia’s short period of independence (1918–1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire. Armenia faced:

  • War and famine

  • Refugee crises

  • Inflation and monetary instability

These notes circulated only briefly before Armenia was absorbed into the Soviet Union in 1920, making them true transitional-state currency and very collectible.

Design & symbolism

  • Mount Ararat prominently engraved at the bottom — Armenia’s most powerful national symbol

  • Heraldic animals and ornate guilloches — high-security engraving typical of Waterlow

  • Multilingual inscriptions — asserting sovereignty while remaining practical for trade

  • Balanced green, gold, and orange palette — far more sophisticated than most emergency issues of the era

This is one of the finest designs of the entire Armenian series.