1918 - Russia - 50 Rubles

Sale!
1918 - Russia - 50 Rubles
CA$50.00 CA$40.00

This is a Russian State Credit Note (Государственный кредитный билет) for 25 Rubles, dated 1918—issued during the Russian Revolution and Civil War period.

Key Details

  • Country: Russia

  • Denomination: 25 Rubles (Двадцать пять рублей)

  • Date: 1918

  • Issuing Authority: State Bank of Russia

  • Language: Russian (Cyrillic)

  • Era: Collapse of Imperial Russia → early Soviet transition

Design & Imagery

  • Central vignette: A seated allegorical female figure symbolizing Russia, shown with tools, industry, and transport.

  • Background:

    • Railway locomotive – industrial progress

    • Ships and cityscape (Petrograd/St. Petersburg) – trade and empire

  • Imperial double-headed eagle on the shield (pre-Soviet emblem).

  • Highly detailed guilloché engraving, typical of late-Imperial Russian banknote craftsmanship.

  • Text still references gold convertibility, though this was effectively obsolete by 1918.

Historical Context

  • Printed amid economic collapse, hyperinflation, and political chaos following the 1917 Revolution.

  • Circulated alongside many competing currencies (Imperial, Provisional Government, Soviet, and regional issues).

  • Represents the last generation of classical Imperial Russian banknote art before Soviet redesigns.