100 rublei 1918
“East Siberia”
About This Note
A reddish-brown 100 Ruble banknote from 1918 issued by the Tomsk State Bank Branch, featuring ornamental corner designs and decorative borders typical of early Russian Soviet currency. The note shows significant age and circulation wear with visible creasing, foxing, and discoloration consistent with over a century of storage; a white oval covering obscures a portion of the middle-right area. This East Siberian issue represents an important regional variant from the tumultuous post-Revolutionary period when local banking authorities issued their own currency.
Common. Regional 1918 Russian banknotes, while historically significant, were produced in substantial quantities during the Civil War period. The Tomsk State Bank branch issues are not among the rarest Russian notes of this era. The Fair condition grade and observable circulation wear suggest this was a working note in widespread use. No evidence of limited print runs, early recall, or exceptional scarcity specific to Pick S1283 is apparent.
This 1918 Tomsk State Bank note was issued during the Russian Civil War when central authority was fragmentary and regional banks maintained independent note-issuing functions. The ornamental border design featuring heraldic elements reflects the continuation of Imperial Russian design traditions in the early Soviet period, before standardized Communist imagery became mandatory. The Tomsk branch's issuance from East Siberia represents the geographically dispersed monetary chaos of 1918, when multiple authorities competed for financial control across the vast Russian territory.
The front features a symmetrical ornamental design with elaborate corner vignettes incorporating geometric and floral patterns typical of turn-of-century Russian bank notes. The double-headed eagle heraldic symbol appears in the corner ornaments, referencing the Imperial Russian monetary tradition. The denomination is prominently displayed in both numerical and spelled-out Russian text. A fine geometric grid pattern forms the background security measure, creating visual texture throughout. The reddish-brown color scheme was economical and distinctive for early Russian Soviet currency. The back appears to have been left largely blank or featured minimal design, suggesting simplification of printing processes during wartime conditions.
Front side: 'Московское Отделение Государственного Банка' (Moscow Branch of the State Bank) — Note: This appears to be a cataloging or printing artifact, as the issuer is the Tomsk State Bank Branch; '100 РУБ.' (100 RUB.); 'СТО РУБЛЕЙ' (ONE HUNDRED RUBLES); '№7869' (Serial No. 7869); '0001' (Series indicator); '1918' (Year of issue). Back side: No legible inscriptions observed due to fading or blank design.
Intaglio (engraved) printing, evidenced by the fine geometric grid background pattern and the sharp, crisp ornamental border details typical of early 20th-century Russian state bank note production. The multi-line text arrangement and decorative elements suggest traditional copperplate engraving techniques. This note was likely produced by a Russian state security printer, possibly the Moscow State Printing House or a regional facility, using single-color reddish-brown ink application on pre-watermarked paper.
Serial number 7869 with series indicator 0001 observed. The note exhibits characteristics of standard Tomsk branch 1918 issues. Potential varieties may exist in signature combinations, series numbers, or minor design elements, but the visual analysis does not reveal evidence of overprints, significant alterations, or unusual markings that would distinguish this as a notable variety. The white oval covering on both sides may conceal additional identifying marks or variety indicators.
