Catalog
5 Rubļi
| Issuer | Latvijas Valsts Kase (Latvian State Treasury) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1919 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Blue on white note with a geometric guilloche border frame enclosing the central design. A central vignette portrays a classical profile bust in an engraved style, flanked on either side by the large numeral '5' and the denomination legend 'PEEŽI RUBĻI'. The header reads 'LATVIJAS' with the inscription 'WALSTS KASES SIHME' split across the left and right panels; serial number and series letter appear in the upper right. Two manuscript signatures of the Finance Minister and Treasury Controller appear at the lower portion. |
|---|---|
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| Variants | P#3a - Series Aa signatures: Erhards & Vanags P#3b - Series A, B, C signatures: Erhards & Vanags P#3c - Series D signatures: Erhards & Vanags P#3d - Series D signatures: Purinsch & Vanags P#3e - Series E signatures: Purinsch & Vanags P#3fF - Series F, G, H, K signatures: Kalnings & Vanags left: "Serija", right: serial# and suffix P#3fH - Series F, G, H, K signatures: Kalnings & Vanags left and right: prefix and serial# |
| Comments |
Latvia's earliest state currency was issued under extraordinary pressure — the country had declared independence in November 1918 while German occupation forces still held Riga, and the new Treasury was printing money before it had secured its own borders. The multiple signature combinations across Series Aa through K reflect rapid administrative turnover during the fighting against both Bolshevik forces and the German Freikorps units that destabilized the young republic well into 1919.
The two distinct serial number layouts within Series F–K — one with "Serija" at left and suffix at right, the other with prefix and number split across both margins — suggest a mid-run format change, possibly driven by a shift in printing arrangement or an attempt to tighten numbering control as note volumes grew.