90 rublei 1917 (20 x 4.50)

Common. This is an uncut sheet of lottery bonds from a major regional bank during a high-inflation, high-volume currency period. While 1917 Russian revolutionary-era financial instruments are historically significant, uncut sheets of low-denomination lottery bonds were produced in quantity for distribution purposes. The Irkutsk State Bank Branch, as a regional treasury authority, issued numerous batches of these instruments. The denomination (90 rubles total) and format suggest wholesale distribution rather than limited issue. No evidence of recall, short production run, or extreme scarcity is indicated by this Pick catalog entry.

Issued during the tumultuous early months of the Russian Revolution, this bond reflects the transitional financial authority of the Irkutsk State Bank Branch—a regional treasury instrument authorized under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and administered through the State Treasury. The bilingual and ornate design aesthetic predates the simplified typography and utilitarian layouts that would characterize Soviet currency post-1918, making this an important transitional document from Tsarist-era financial practices to early Bolshevik state control. The uncut sheet format indicates it served as a wholesale lottery or bond distribution medium rather than circulation currency.

The sheet comprises 20 identical lottery tickets arranged in a 5×4 grid, each measuring approximately 4.50 rubles in denomination. The front features ornate black decorative borders with corner flourishes in the Art Nouveau style characteristic of late Imperial Russian financial documents, with critical information printed in red (series number 2974) to distinguish it from body text. The design includes the authority designations of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and State Treasury Administration, establishing legitimacy during the chaotic revolutionary period. The reverse side displays purely decorative elements—each ticket's corresponding position is marked with a Roman numeral (II-XX) enclosed within an ornamental scalloped frame with floral/botanical motifs, suggesting this was part of a lottery or bond distribution system where numerals tracked individual ticket positions within the uncut sheet.

FRONT SIDE: 'Раздроб Грецки' (Retail/Sectional Treasury); 'Серія Номер' (Series Number); '2974' (series identifier); '4 РУБЛЯ 50 КОП.' (4 Rubles 50 Kopecks); 'Білет' (Ticket/Bond); '50' (ticket identifier); 'Президиум Всероссийского Центрального Исполнительного Комитета' (Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee); 'Управления Государственного Казначейства' (Administration of the State Treasury). Individual tickets numbered sequentially 1-20 in lower right corners. BACK SIDE: Roman numerals II through XX within decorative medallions, each corresponding to one of the twenty individual tickets on the sheet, serving as identification markers for lottery draw purposes.

Letterpress printing, evidenced by the sharp, crisp impression of the ornate borders, clear Cyrillic typography, and the distinct red serial number overprinting. The fine detail work on the decorative frames and the consistent print quality across all twenty tickets indicates professional security printing, likely from a St. Petersburg or Moscow state printing facility authorized for Treasury documents. The two-color printing (black and red) was executed in separate passes, standard for official Russian financial instruments of this era.

Series 2974 is identified on this sheet. The reverse numerals (II-XX) indicate this represents tickets numbered 1-20 from a larger issue. Collectors should note that individual ticket positions can be identified by their Roman numerals on the reverse, potentially allowing for reconstruction of complete serial sets if multiple sheets from the same series are located. The specific series number 2974 should be recorded for any collection documentation. No signature varieties are visible on this sheet format.