USSR — 1961 Monetary Reform (1961 — 1991)

The currency reform of 1961 was a 10-to-1 redenomination: from 1 January 1961 old money was exchanged for new money of one tenth the face value. The coins and banknotes of the 1961 pattern circulated until the end of the Soviet Union.

The circulation coins run from 1 kopeck to 1 rouble: the small change from 1 to 5 kopecks is yellow, from 10 kopecks to the rouble white. The old-pattern copper 1, 2 and 3 kopecks were not exchanged in the reform — they stayed in circulation at their old face value. From 1965 commemorative roubles were issued, and from 1977 collector coins in silver, gold, platinum and palladium, the first of them for the 1980 Olympics.

The banknotes of the 1961 pattern are State Treasury Notes of 1, 3 and 5 roubles and State Bank Notes of 10, 25, 50 and 100 roubles. They were printed for thirty years with changes of paper, number font and printing method, so every denomination has many varieties. In January 1991 the "Pavlov" reform withdrew the 50 and 100 roubles, while the lower denominations outlived the USSR and circulated in Russia until 1993.