Catalog
10 Rubles
| Issuer | Russian-American Company / Российско-американская компания |
|---|---|
| Year | 1816-1852 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Plain paper ground with a centrally placed oval guilloche vignette containing the Cyrillic inscription МАРКА ВЪ АМЕРИКЪ / 10 РУБ. Below the oval, a rectangular panel bears a serial number, and beneath that a further rectangular cartouche contains a manuscript handwritten signature in ink. The overall design is typographic and engraved in a sparse, utilitarian style. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is dominated by a centrally placed circular seal vignette with a Russian Imperial double-headed eagle at its centre, surrounded by the Cyrillic legend reading ЕГО ИМПЕ: ВЕЛИЧ: ПОКРОВИТ: / ВЫСОЧ: РОССІЙС: АМЕРИКÁНС: КОМПАНІЙ ПЕЧАТЬ / ДОП:. Below the seal, the denomination is rendered in full in Cyrillic letterpress. The composition is austere, relying entirely on typographic and stamp-style elements on plain paper. |
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| Comments |
The Russian-American Company was a chartered trading monopoly granted exclusive rights over Russian Alaska and the North Pacific fur trade by Tsar Paul I in 1799. Its paper obligations — issued in denominations from 1 to 10 rubles — functioned as a private scrip redeemable only within the company's own settlements, primarily Novo-Arkhangelsk (present-day Sitka). They were not legal tender in Russia and had no standing outside company-controlled territory.
The 36-year date span reflects serial reissues rather than continuous uninterrupted printing. Surviving examples of the 10-ruble denomination are genuinely rare; the remote and often harsh conditions of Russian America meant most notes were redeemed, worn out, or simply lost.