3 rublja 1918

Common. As a regional emergency issue from a major branch of the State Bank during an active conflict period, the Arkhangelsk 3 Ruble note was issued in substantial quantities sufficient to meet local circulation demands. Pick-S101a represents the standard and likely only significant variety of this denomination from this issuer. While regional Russian Civil War currency has collector interest, the lack of exceptional scarcity indicators—such as a documented small print run, note recall, or extreme rarity in modern census data—and the lack of strong pricing data suggesting premium valuations indicate this note trades as a common item within the Civil War-era Russian regional currency category. Collector demand exists primarily for the historical and regional significance rather than for numismatic rarity.

During the Russian Civil War and the Allied intervention in North Russia (1918-1920), the Arkhangelsk Branch of the State Bank issued emergency banknotes to maintain local currency circulation in the region effectively cut off from Soviet-controlled territory. The presence of multiple signature lines for the Acting Manager, Commissar, and Cashier reflects the complex administrative structure of the period, while the explicit reference to Arkhangelsk Province jurisdiction demonstrates the regional fragmentation of financial authority. The Art Nouveau design aesthetic and the formal legal language promising redemption 'from the cash desk of the ARKHANGELSK BRANCH OF THE STATE BANK or one of the treasury offices of Arkhangelsk Province' underscore the provisional yet officially sanctioned nature of this currency.

This note exemplifies the ornate Russian banking aesthetic of the early 20th century, employing classical heraldic and Art Nouveau elements. The central reverse design features the Imperial Russian double-headed eagle—a symbol of state authority—positioned within an elaborate hexagonal cartouche and flanked by decorative pillars or columns. The front displays a symmetrical layout with ornamental corner medallions containing repeating circular geometric patterns characteristic of Art Nouveau design, framing a central rectangular text block that establishes the legal and jurisdictional basis for the note's circulation. The consistent use of fine line engraving throughout both sides creates a sophisticated, intricate visual field that served both aesthetic and anti-counterfeiting purposes. No portraits appear on this note; the emphasis is entirely on heraldic symbolism, ornamental geometry, and official administrative text.

FRONT SIDE: 'ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ БАНК' (State Bank); 'ТРИ РУБЛЯ' (Three Rubles); 'АРХАНГЕЛЬСКОЕ ОТДЕЛЕНИЕ' (Arkhangelsk Department); 'Временно выпускается АРХАНГЕЛЬСКИМ ОТДЕЛЕНИЕМ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО БАНКА и от продолжается Архангельской губернии обязательно по обращению паранос с кредитными билетами' (Temporarily issued by the ARKHANGELSK DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE BANK and continued in Arkhangelsk Province, obligatorily circulated with credit notes); 'Подлинна президентом законовы' (Confirmed by presidential decree). REVERSE SIDE: 'ТРИ РУБЛЯ' (Three Rubles); 'Предъявитель сего ценного бумаги имеют получить из кассы АРХАНГЕЛЬСКОГО ОТДЕЛЕНИЯ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО БАНКА или одного из казначеиства Архангельской губернии ТРИ рублей' (The holder of this security paper has the right to receive from the cash desk of the ARKHANGELSK BRANCH OF THE STATE BANK or one of the treasury offices of Arkhangelsk Province THREE rubles); 'ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ БАНК АРХАНГЕЛЬСКОЕ ОТДЕЛЕНИЕ' (STATE BANK ARKHANGELSK DEPARTMENT); signature blocks labeled 'и.о. Управляющего' (Acting Manager), 'Комиссар' (Commissar), and 'Кассиро' (Cashier); 'А 016' (Serial designation).

The note was produced using fine line engraving, a technique evident from the intricate detail work visible in the ornamental borders, corner medallions, floral scrollwork, and the heraldic eagle design. This intaglio-based method was the standard security printing technique for Russian state banknotes of this era, providing natural resistance to counterfeiting through the complexity of the engraved plates and the distinctive tactile quality of the printed lines. The consistent registration across both sides and the sharp impressions observed in the AU condition specimen indicate professional production by a State Bank security printing facility, though the specific printer cannot be definitively confirmed from catalog data alone.

This example is catalogued as Pick-S101a, which represents the primary and only documented variant for the 3 Ruble denomination issued by Arkhangelsk's Branch. The serial designation 'А 016' visible on the reverse suggests this is from an early printing run (low serial number prefix). PMG records indicate only one variant has been catalogued for this base Pick number, suggesting no significant typographical, ornamental, or technical varieties are recognized among examples that have undergone professional grading. Regional notes of this type may exhibit minor variations in signature placements or ink shades across printing batches, but no formally distinguished varieties have been documented in standard catalogs.