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500 Markkaa, Litt. B
| Issuer | Bank of Finland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse, printed in blue on a fine guilloche underprint, is dominated by the Finnish State Coat of Arms — a crowned lion rampant within a shield — set centrally amid an elaborate wreath of pine branches. Large denomination numerals "500" appear at lower left and lower right, with additional "500" inscriptions in each upper corner, and the year 1945 at the bottom centre within the decorative border. |
| Reverse lettering | 500 |
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| Comments |
Finland's 500 Markkaa series of 1945 came immediately after the country's brutal Continuation War and the armistice terms that imposed heavy reparations on a devastated economy. The Litt. B designation marks a revised letterpress run — the Bank of Finland used literal suffixes to distinguish successive printings within the same design year, a cataloguing habit that reflects how frequently wartime and postwar pressures forced the bank to reprint notes before a full redesign was practical.
Inflation was severe enough that a 500 Markkaa note, once a substantial sum, lost purchasing power rapidly through the late 1940s. The 1945 series was retired well before the 1963 redenomination that replaced 100 old Markkaa with 1 new Markka.