1912 Russia 500 Roubles Currency Note XF–AU

110-Year-Old Russian Notes That Escaped the Russian Civil War

These paper bank notes come from a time in Russia when Communism had yet to seize power and the Russian Empire was still ruled by a Tsar. But ominous storm clouds were rapidly formed on the horizon. Each note available here was released in 1910 during the reign of Tsar Nicholas II and the final decade of the Romanov dynasty. Lenin and his communist Bolsheviks had been agitating for a decade, and Nicholas’ popularity had plummeted after a series of ill-advised moves and the country’s disastrous effort in World War I. Revolts against the monarchy began in 1917 when laborers refused to work. Like a perfect storm, these events forced Nicholas to abdicate. He and his entire family were arrested by the Bolsheviks and were soon murdered touching off a bloody Civil War that lasted until 1923. The Red Army led by Vladimir Lenin emerged from the conflict and established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), that spread Communism throughout eastern Europe until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Among The Last Notes Issued By Imperial Russia

One of the last notes issued by Imperial Russia, these 500 Roubles notes from 1912 feature a portrait of Tsar Peter the Great. When they were issued more than a century ago, they were worth about 15 ounces of gold making them most valuable bank note in circulation at that time. That’s also a big reason why those fleeing from the mass violence and terror of the Russian Civil War stuffed their pockets and suitcase with as many of these valuable currency notes as they could get their hands on. These beautiful notes are in Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated (XF–AU) condition, which is especially impressive given that they are more than a century old. Lenin and the Bolsheviks wanted to wipe away any trace of these notes, but you can have the last laugh by adding one to your collection today!