90 rublei 1917 (20 x 4.50)

Uncommon. While lottery tickets and bond sheets from the Irkutsk State Bank Branch are not frequently encountered in the numismatic market compared to standard banknotes, they represent a specialized collecting category. The specific combination of the 1917 dating, complete uncut sheet format of 20 tickets, and VF condition suggests this is a well-preserved survivor. Many such documents were separated into individual tickets, making complete sheets rarer than individual specimens. However, this is not an exceptionally rare item—these were produced in reasonable quantities as practical financial instruments during the Civil War period, and examples do appear in specialized Russian Civil War collections and auction catalogs with moderate regularity.

This document originates from the Irkutsk State Bank Branch during the tumultuous Russian Civil War era, when the White Russian government controlled Siberia and issued its own financial instruments separate from Bolshevik-controlled territories. The dating range spanning 1919-1928 suggests these were distributed lottery tickets or bonds used to maintain financial stability and public confidence during the period of economic uncertainty following the Revolution. The ornate decorative design and multi-ticket sheet format reflect pre-Revolutionary Russian banking traditions adapted for emergency wartime financial needs, representing a fascinating intersection of Imperial aesthetic traditions and Civil War-era economic pragmatism.

This sheet comprises 20 identical lottery or bond tickets in a carefully organized grid layout, each featuring an ornate decorative border executed in classical baroque revival style characteristic of early 20th-century Russian financial documents. The front displays the Irkutsk State Bank Branch emblem or coat of arms at the top left of each ticket, with the series number 4937 prominently displayed in large red text. The denomination of 4 Rubles 50 Kopeks appears clearly on each ticket. The reverse side features simplified but elegant scalloped decorative frames in orange/coral surrounding large red numerals (1-20), creating a clean, functional design for lottery drawing purposes. The repeated, uniform design across all 20 tickets served dual security and administrative purposes, allowing easy verification of the complete set while facilitating the lottery system.

Front Side: СЕРІЯ НОМЕР (Series Number) - 4937 (Series designation); 4 РУБЛЯ 50 КОП. (4 Rubles 50 Kopeks - denomination); БИЛЕТ (Ticket); РАЗДАЧА ВТОРОЙ (Second Distribution); Управління Государственного (State Management/Administration). Individual tickets numbered 1-20 sequentially with varying dates from July 1919 to January 1928. Back Side: Sequential numbering from 1 to 20, with each number displayed in large red numerals within ornate frames, serving as ticket identification/drawing numbers for the lottery or bond distribution scheme.

The tickets were produced using traditional letterpress printing with chromatic color separation, evidenced by the distinct black borders on the front, red numerical and textual elements, and orange/coral frames on the reverse. The ornate decorative borders and baroque styling were achieved through metal type and engraved blocks characteristic of Russian Imperial-era security printing methods. The multi-color layered appearance and precise registration of the ornamental frames indicate professional security printer involvement, likely utilizing the same printing facilities that produced Russian Imperial banknotes and government securities prior to the Revolution.

This sheet represents Series 4937 with ticket numbers 1-20, featuring individual date variations across the tickets (July 1919 through January 1928) which suggests multiple printings or distributions under the same series designation. The variety appears to be a complete sheet of the 'Second Distribution' (РАЗДАЧА ВТОРОЙ) as noted in the inscriptions. The presence of varying dates on individual tickets within a single numbered series is a distinguishing characteristic of this particular issue. Collectors should note that separated individual tickets from this series also exist, but the complete uncut 20-ticket sheet format represents the primary issued form and is preferred by serious collectors of Russian Civil War financial instruments.