20 Markkaa

Finland in 1898 was an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russian imperial rule, and Suomen Pankki operated under considerable political constraint — yet the Bank retained authority over its own currency, a privilege that made the markka one of the more resilient instruments of Finnish civil identity during the late tsarist period. The 1898 series was printed domestically, an unusual choice for a peripheral currency at a time when most comparably sized note issuers contracted work to established western European security printers.

Pick 5 is the second type for this denomination, distinguishing it from the earlier 1880s issue through revised text layout and serial numbering conventions.