Catalog
1 Talonas 'Coupon'
| Issuer | Lithuanian Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 1992 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#39 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Brown intaglio vignette on orange and ochre guilloche underprint. The central panel carries a detailed naturalistic vignette of two Eurasian lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) standing face to face, rendered with fine line engraving against the patterned background. The numeral "1" appears in the upper-right and lower-left corners of the unprinted white margin. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Large squarish diamond with symbol of the republic throughout paper. |
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| Comments |
The talonas was introduced in 1991 as a supplementary coupon currency alongside the Soviet ruble, initially required for purchasing rationed goods. By mid-1992 it had effectively displaced the ruble in daily transactions, functioning as the de facto national currency before the litas was restored in June 1993. The word itself simply means "coupon" in Lithuanian — the population never fully warmed to it.
Printed domestically by Spindulys in Kaunas, the series was a pragmatic solution produced under real constraints. The watermark is present but modest, reflecting what Lithuanian printing infrastructure could reliably deliver at the time.