75 Roubles

The 75 Rouble assignat of 1769 belongs to the first paper currency ever issued in Russia, authorized by Catherine II's manifesto of December 29, 1768. The denomination itself is peculiar — 75 roubles sits alongside 25 and 50 rouble notes in the original series, a set of values clearly calibrated to replace copper coinage in large transactions rather than to facilitate everyday commerce. Copper currency at the time was so bulky that a 100-rouble sum weighed roughly 100 kilograms.

Forgeries appeared almost immediately, partly because early production lacked sophisticated protection. The border lettering was added specifically in response to this problem. The Assignation Bank operated separate offices in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and notes were theoretically redeemable for copper at either location — a promise that grew harder to honor as issuance volumes climbed through the later decades of Catherine's reign.