Catalog
50 Marka *
| Issuer | Eesti Wabariigi (Republic of Estonia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1919 |
| Type | Pattern or trial banknote |
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| Obverse description | Light olive-green treasury bond-style note with a typeset layout on plain paper, bordered by a fine guilloche frame. The centre carries the bold heading EESTI WABARIIGI 5% WÕLAKOHUSTUS with the serial number below, above a text block specifying payment terms in Estonian; date of issue given as 1 juulil 1919 and the denomination Mk. 50.— in the upper right. Three manuscript signatures appear below the central text under the legend EESTI AJUTISE WALITSUSE NIMEL, with the numerals 50 repeated in guilloche rosette panels at the upper corners and along the vertical side borders; multilingual marginal inscriptions in Estonian, German, and French run along the left and right edges. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 50 50 |
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| Comments |
Estonia's first domestic paper currency series was issued in extreme haste following the declaration of independence in February 1918 and the subsequent war against both German and Soviet forces. The 50 Marka bearing the P#14A designation belongs to the earliest phase of the Estonian mark, a currency the new republic was forced to produce with almost no central banking infrastructure in place. Printing arrangements were improvised, and the notes circulated alongside leftover tsarist rubles and German occupation marks — a chaotic monetary environment by any measure.
The "A" suffix distinguishes a specific plate variant within what was already a rushed production run.