10 Markkaa

Finland in 1898 was still a Grand Duchy under Russian imperial rule, and Suomen Pankki occupied a peculiar position — a functioning central bank with its own currency, the markka, operating within an empire that had its own monetary system entirely. The markka had been pegged to gold since 1878, giving Finland a degree of monetary stability that made these notes genuinely redeemable instruments rather than mere administrative tokens.

Pick 3 is among the earlier entries in what would become a long-running series before the dramatic political ruptures of 1917–1918. Notes from this issue are known to suffer from paper browning along the folds, a recurring condition problem tied to the stock used across the late 1890s printings.