Catalog
5 Centai Provisional
| Issuer | Lietuvos Bankas (Bank of Lithuania) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1922 |
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| Value | 5 Centai (0.05) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Lietuvos Banko laikinasis banknotas Pristačiusiam Lietuvos Bankas keičia į litus 5 penki centai Kaunas, 1922 m. rugsėjo 10 d. LIETUVOS BANKAS Padirbimas įstatymu baudžiamas (Translation: Lithuanian Bank Provisional Banknote The Bank of Lithuania exchanges litas for the delivery person Five cents Kaunas, September 10, 1922 BANK OF LITHUANIA Counterfeiting is punishable by law) |
| Reverse description | Green on pale underprint. The reverse is entirely composed of fine guilloche lathe-work forming a symmetrical engine-turned pattern, with a central circular vignette containing the Lithuanian coat of arms — the armoured knight on horseback (Vytis) — enclosed within an elaborate medallion. The numeral '5' appears in each corner, and a ribbon cartouche at the foot carries the denomination in words. |
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| Comments |
Lithuania's first banknote series was prepared in haste following the country's monetary separation from the German-occupied wartime economy. The 5 Centai was not purpose-designed — it was a provisional stamp applied over pre-printed stock, a stopgap while the permanent Litas series was still being arranged. The underlying notes were printed by the American Bank Note Company, and the provisional overprint allowed Lietuvos Bankas to circulate them before the full infrastructure for a sovereign currency was in place.
The Litas itself wasn't introduced until 1922–1925, making these early Centas-denominated pieces genuinely transitional instruments rather than a functioning retail currency.