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1 Rouble Shops of Arktikugol'
| Issuer | Arktikugol' (Arctic Coal Trust) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1979 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Rouble (1 SUR) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Pale pink note with a central guilloche rosette enclosing the numeral '1' in large script, flanked by two ornamental rosette vignettes. The upper right carries the inscriptions identifying the USSR Ministry of Coal Industry and the State Trust 'Arktikugol'', with the word 'Talon' and a serial number below. The lower central area bears the denomination legend in Cyrillic. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain pale yellow note with a lightly printed guilloche underprint at centre incorporating the numeral '1'. Two lines of Cyrillic text occupy the upper central area, with a third line below, advising that the coupon is not replaceable if lost and must be returned unused to the enterprise cashier. |
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| Comments |
Arktikugol' is a Soviet-era state trust that has operated coal mines on Svalbard since 1931, exploiting Norway's unique obligation under the 1920 Spitsbergen Treaty to permit Soviet economic activity on the archipelago. These scrip notes were issued for use in the trust's company stores at Barentsburg and Pyramiden — settlements that functioned as closed Soviet communities on Norwegian sovereign territory, a geopolitical peculiarity with no real parallel in the postwar world.
The scrip prevented hard currency from circulating among workers and kept spending within trust-controlled outlets. Pyramiden was abandoned in 1998 and Barentsburg remains active today, still under Arktikugol' management.