250 rublei 1919
“Ashabad”
About This Note
A scarce 250 rubles banknote issued in 1919 by the Ashabad branch of the National Bank during the Russian Civil War period. The note displays an ornate central heraldic coat of arms with eagle motif surrounded by decorative laurel wreaths and fine line engravings, characteristic of early Soviet-era provisional currency. In AU condition, this example shows light foxing and age-related wear consistent with authentic period notes, with clearly legible signatures and a distinctive purple circular stamp visible in the upper left corner.
Scarce. While Transcaspian Provisional Government notes are not extremely rare, this specific denomination (250 rubles) and issuing authority represents a limited print run from a short-lived regional government (1918-1924). The Ashabad branch notes in particular see less market circulation than central-authority issues. AU condition examples are less common than circulated specimens, and the Pick S1146(2-1) cataloging indicates this is a documented variety. Regional Russian Civil War provisional issues, especially from peripheral territories like Transcaspia, typically had smaller production runs than main Soviet or White Russian currency, making denominations above 100 rubles proportionally scarcer.
This note was issued by the Transcaspian Provisional Government (Zakaspiyskoe Vremennoe Pravitel'stvo) during the Russian Civil War, representing a period of regional monetary fragmentation when local authorities issued their own currency. The heraldic eagle emblem and formal governmental language reflect the Transcaspian government's attempt to establish legitimacy as a parallel authority to competing Russian governments. The explicit statement that the note 'has circulation equal to state credit notes' demonstrates the transitional monetary chaos of 1919, when multiple competing currencies circulated in peripheral regions of the former Russian Empire.
The note features a formal commemorative design centered on a Russian imperial heraldic eagle coat of arms, likely representing state authority during the Transcaspian government period. The central emblem is framed by ornate baroque-style scrollwork, laurel wreaths, and floral garlands, which serve both decorative and security purposes. The denomination '250' appears in all four corners in large numerals. The front displays three authenticated signatures of officials (Manager, Cashier, and Controller), reflecting the institutional hierarchy required to legitimize the issue. A purple circular stamp with denomination imprint is impressed in the upper left, possibly representing a bank stamp or official authorization mark. The back contains an explanatory cartouche with governance and legal text. The overall design aesthetic reflects early 20th-century Russian institutional currency rather than later Soviet propaganda design.
FRONT SIDE: 'РАЗМЕННЫЙ ДЕНЕЖНЫЙ ЗНАК' (Exchange monetary sign) / 'АССАДСКОГО ОТДЕЛЕНИЯ НАРОДНОГО БАНКА' (Of the Assadian [Ashabad] branch of the People's Bank) / '250 РУБЛЕЙ' (250 Rubles) / 'Управляющий А. Малинник' (Manager A. Malinnik) / 'Кассир П. Насулович' (Cashier P. Nasulovich) / 'Контролер Д. Аминтол' (Controller D. Amintal) / '1919 г' (1919). BACK SIDE: 'ДВЕСТИ ПЯТЬДЕСЯТ РУБЛЕЙ' (Two hundred fifty rubles) / 'ВЫПУЩЕН ПО РАСПОРЯЖЕНИЮ ЗАКАСПИЙСКОГО ВРЕМЕННОГО ПРАВИТЕЛЬСТВА' (Issued by order of the Transcaspian Provisional Government) / 'ИМЕЕТ ХОЖДЕНИЕ НАРАВНЕ С ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫМИ КРЕДИТНЫМИ БИЛЕТАМИ' (Has circulation equal to state credit notes) / 'ПОДДЕЛКА ПРЕСЛЕДУЕТСЯ ЗА ЗАКОНОМ' (Counterfeiting is prosecuted by law).
Intaglio engraving, evidenced by the fine line work, detailed decorative borders, and ornate cartouche elements visible throughout both sides. The consistent ink density, clear registration of multi-line inscriptions, and elaborate heraldic details are characteristic of traditional copperplate or steel-plate engraving methods used by Russian state printers of this period. The purple stamp appears to have been applied separately, likely using a rubber or metal stamp in purple ink. No evidence of lithography or other mechanical printing methods is visible; the design quality and security features are consistent with high-security engraved bank note production standards of the era.
This example represents the Ashabad (Assadian) branch issue, distinguished by the specific branch designation in Cyrillic: 'АССАДСКОГО ОТДЕЛЕНИЯ' on the front. The signatures of A. Malinnik (Manager), P. Nasulovich (Cashier), and D. Amintal (Controller) identify this as an authorized official issue from the Ashabad branch. The purple circular stamp with denomination '250' in the upper left corner may indicate a specific authorization or batch marking. The Pick catalog number S1146(2-1) notation suggests there may be other varieties of this denomination with different branch designations or signature combinations; the (2-1) designation likely indicates this is variety 2, subvariety 1 within the Ashabad branch 250-ruble series.
