Catalog
5 Roubles
| Issuer | Assignation Bank (Ассигнационный Банк) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1787-1818 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 170 × 130 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ОБЪЯВИТЕЛЮ СЕЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЙ АССИГНАЦИИ ПЛАТИТЬ АССИГНАЦИОННЫЙ БАНКЪ ПЯТЬ РУБЛЕЙ ХОДЯЧЕЮ МОНЕТОЮ 1794 ГОДА. ПЯТЬ Др. б. |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Соб. пр. б. |
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| Comments |
Russia's Assignation Bank was established by Catherine II in 1769 specifically to replace the heavy copper coinage that was strangling trade — a single ruble in copper weighed around 1.6 kg, making large commercial transactions genuinely impractical. The assignat notes were the solution, and this 5-rouble denomination served the lower end of that paper currency experiment for nearly three decades under a single pick number.
The extended date range reflects continuous reissue rather than a single print run. Surviving examples often show significant handling damage, which is expected — these circulated hard among a public that took generations to trust paper over metal.