50 kopeeks 1918
“Baku”
About This Note
A 50 kopeck municipal note issued by the Baku City Government in 1918, featuring an elegant design with ornamental star-burst denomination markers and a central heraldic shield on the obverse. The note exhibits tan and beige coloration typical of early 20th-century Russian currency, with visible foxing and age-related discoloration consistent with its historical status, though the printing remains clear and the design elements are well-preserved.
Common. While Baku municipal notes from 1918 represent a specific regional emergency currency issue, the 50 kopeck denomination was typically produced in substantial quantities for everyday circulation during the Civil War period. The widespread availability of similar municipal scrip from this era and the lack of documented scarcity in major catalogs indicate this is a readily obtainable example for collectors of Russian Civil War emergency currency.
This note was issued during the Russian Civil War period when local municipal governments in the Caucasus region, including Baku, were compelled to issue their own emergency currency due to disruptions in centralized currency supply. The obverse displays the Baku City Administration (Банинская Городская Управа) seal and heraldic symbols, while the reverse's declaration that the note 'has circulation equivalent to silver coin' reflects the monetary chaos of 1918 when local scrip competed with state currency. The emphasis on counterfeiting penalties underscores the need to establish legitimacy for this municipal emergency money during the tumultuous post-revolutionary period.
This municipal emergency note features a symmetric design with prominent star-burst or badge-shaped cartouches containing the numeral '50' flanking a central heraldic shield or coat of arms on the obverse. The shield incorporates ornamental flourishes typical of Russian civic heraldry. The reverse displays a large denomination '50' with 'КОП.' abbreviations on either side, surrounded by decorative scrollwork and corner ornaments in a classical frame design. No portraits or specific landmarks are depicted; instead, the design relies on heraldic and decorative elements to establish municipal authority and legitimacy during the emergency currency period.
OBVERSE: 'БАНИНСКАЯ ГОРОДСКАЯ УПРАВА' (Baku City Administration); '50' (denomination); 'Городская Касса и Казначей Общего управы Банинского' (City Treasury and Treasurer of the General Administration of Baku). REVERSE: 'ИМЕЕТ ХОЖДЕНИЕ НАРАВНЕ С РАЗМЕННОЮ СЕРЕБРЯКОЮ МОНЕТОЮ' (Has circulation equivalent to small denomination silver coin); '50 КОП.' (50 kopeks); 'ПОДЛИННА ПРЕСЛЕДУЕТСЯ ЗАКОНОМ' (Counterfeiting is prosecuted by law).
Letterpress printing with typographic composition, utilizing ornamental typefaces and decorative borders typical of municipal printing shops in 1918. The note exhibits characteristics of local or regional printing facilities rather than centralized security printing, consistent with emergency municipal currency production during the Russian Civil War. The clear impression of text and moderate register alignment suggest competent but not state-level security printing.
This example is identified as Pick S728b, indicating it is a cataloged variety within the Baku municipal series. Variations in this series may include differences in signatures or official authorization marks visible in the handwritten elements on the obverse, though the visual analysis does not provide sufficient detail to distinguish specific signature variants. The presence of handwritten authorization notation suggests this particular note may be identifiable by specific official signatures, which would constitute a defined variety within the S728 designation.
