Catalog
| Issuer | Eesti Vabariigi Rahaministeerium |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Pattern or trial banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Seeria B No 00351 1920 aasta väljaanne. Tähtpäev 1. september 1920. Marka 25.000.— Eesti Vabariigi 5%-line kassa-veksel MARKA 25.000 MARKA 1. septembril 1920 maksab Riigikassa ehk iga kohaline rentei selle kassa-veksli üleandtajale kakskümmendviistuhat marka Riigikassa Juhataja Rahaminister Riigikassa Arvesaokonte Juhataja |
| Reverse description | The reverse is plain and unprinted, showing the back of the document paper with a faint impression of the obverse text visible in mirror image through the sheet. Two small cancellation punch holes are visible near the centre of the note, consistent with a trial or cancelled specimen. |
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| Comments |
The Estonian Ministry of Finance issued this note under extraordinary pressure. By 1920, Estonia had just emerged from its War of Independence against both German and Soviet forces, and the marka — inherited from the German occupation's monetary system — was already inflating badly. The government was printing high denominations not out of ambition but necessity, scrambling to maintain a functional money supply before the planned transition to the kroon could be organized.
Pick 38J designates a signature variety within the broader 38 series, a distinction that matters more to specialists than the denomination itself. The signature combinations on these notes track ministerial turnover closely — Estonia went through finance ministers at a clip during this period.