10 000 Roubles

The 1923 RSFSR high-denomination notes were issued under extraordinary monetary pressure. By that point, Soviet Russia had been through years of war communism, the catastrophic hyperinflation of 1921–22, and was mid-transition into the NEP stabilization program. The 10,000 Rouble denomination — enormous on its face — was already being eroded by continued inflation before it even reached circulation. The entire 1923 sovznak series would be rendered effectively worthless within months, superseded by the chervonets-backed currency reform later that year.

Pick 171A specifically denotes a watermark variety, distinguishing it from the plain-paper 171B. That distinction matters more than it might appear — paper supply inconsistencies in early Soviet printing were common, and the two varieties were not issued at different times but reflect procurement differences at the Goznak printing works.