Catalog
500 Roubles
| Issuer | Government Bank, Yerevan Branch |
|---|---|
| Year | 1919 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Check-style treasury note issued by the Erivan Branch of the State Bank, with the heading in Cyrillic identifying it as a special current account of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The central field carries a large underprint numeral and text in Cyrillic stating the bearer is entitled to receive five hundred roubles from the Erivan Branch of the State Bank, with series, number, and date of issue (August 1919) printed in the upper-left area. Two manuscript signatures of ministers appear at the lower centre, flanked by ornamental guilloche borders running vertically along both side margins. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ЭРИВАНСКОЕ ОТДЕЛЕНИЕ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО БАНКА Специальный тек. счет Правительства Республики Армении Сер. А № Ериван, Август 1919 года Предъявитель сего чека имеет получить из Эриванского Отделения Государственного Банка пятьсот рублей Министр-Председатель Министр Финансов Настоящий чек имеет обращаться в значении кредитных билетов |
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| Comments |
This note was issued by the short-lived First Republic of Armenia, which declared independence in May 1918 and collapsed under Soviet pressure in December 1920. The Yerevan Branch of the Government Bank operated under extraordinary conditions — the republic was simultaneously fighting border wars with Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey while managing near-total economic collapse and a refugee catastrophe following the Armenian Genocide.
Armenian banknotes of this period were printed locally under severe material constraints, and the 500 Rouble denomination reflects runaway inflation rather than any deliberate monetary architecture. The series is notably crude by contemporary standards — a direct consequence of the absence of established printing infrastructure in Yerevan at the time of issue.