Russia South Russia 5000 Roubles 1919 PS419 EF

We have always loved these 500 roubles featuring Peter the Great. They are dated 1912 and are amongst the last notes issued by Tsarist Russia before the Russian Revolution of 1917 swept away all vestiges of Imperial Rule.(P14) They are huge- measuring 270mm x 125mm. At the time, they represented an equally huge amount of money. They feature an imposing portrait of Peter the Great on the back and in the watermark. Peter the Great built Russia’s Navy and founded St Petersburg, the Venice of the North.These are lovely examples in Crisp EF/GEF.

In 1978, the Islamic Republic of Iran was established when the Pahlavi dynasty was ousted from power by the supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini. Before banknotes could be issued in the name of the new republic, notes from the fallen regime were used but all traces of the Shah were obliterated by overprints over his portrait which appeared on the fronts and in the watermark. We can offer Uncirculated 50 rials showing the obliterated portraits of the Shah(P123b) The back features a view of the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae. Uncirculated.

I’ve always liked this 50 mark note issued in Germany in 1920 and especially so when it is in choice condition. It is densely engraved with a framed illustration of a young girl with a rose garland in her hair and holding fruit on the front. The back depicts a farmer and scythe in one frame and an industrial worker with hammer in another (P68) Crisp AU/Uncirculated.