2 Kopecks

The 1924 Soviet small-denomination notes — including this 2 Kopek piece — were a direct consequence of the NEP-era monetary reform that reintroduced the gold-backed chervonets and attempted to stabilize the ruble after years of hyperinflationary collapse. Metal coinage was in desperately short supply, and paper substitutes at kopek denominations filled the gap while the mint struggled to meet demand. The State Bank issued these notes as temporary currency, though "temporary" stretched considerably longer than intended.

Printed by Goznak, the state security printing works. The series is notorious among collectors for misaligned perforations — these notes were perforated along the sheet edges rather than guillotined, an unusual production choice that left many examples with uneven margins.