5000 Roubles

The sheer number of watermark-paper and signature combinations cataloged for this note reflects the chaos of Soviet printing infrastructure in 1919 — the Bolshevik government was sourcing whatever paper stock it could find, resulting in a note that exists in more distinct technical varieties than most collectors initially expect. The watermark data here is not decorative; different paper mills supplied sheets with differing watermark patterns, and the signing official's name was stamped or printed to identify accountability within the commissariat.

At the height of the Civil War, 5,000 Roubles was a significant denomination, yet hyperinflation was already eroding its real value so rapidly that the note's useful life in commerce was measured in weeks.