1 ruble — USSR (1947)

Photo: Daniel LeBowsky (CC BY-NC-SA) · Numista
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Watermark

Two-tone: stars in vertical columns.

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Appearance

Blue print. An ornamental frame around the USSR state emblem at the top of the obverse, the denomination below it in the languages of the union republics: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Armenian, Turkmen, Uzbek, Tajik, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Karelian, Moldovan, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian (16 languages -- hence "16 republics"). The reverse shows a hammer and sickle over a sheaf of wheat in a guilloché frame, with the legal tender text. The paper carries a watermark of stars arranged in columns. The note's own title reads "State Treasury Note", although it was issued by the State Bank of the USSR. No signatures. 123 × 81 mm. The 1-ruble note has 11 varieties (Denisov КБ-22.1–22.11), which differ in the number font (type I — small sharp serifs, type II — larger rounded letters), in the spacing of the series letters on type I (tight or wide) and in how the series letters are written — capitals or lower case (АА, Аа, аА, аа). Two specimens with a red "ОБРАЗЕЦ" overprint are also known.

The 1947 currency reform

The reform was carried out by a joint decree of the USSR Council of Ministers and the CPSU(b) Central Committee of 14 December 1947 (in force from 16 December): cash was exchanged for new money at 10 to 1, ending the wartime surplus of currency. Seven denominations were issued, from 1 to 100 rubles, all dated "1947". The denominations differ in color, size and watermark. The 1, 3 and 5 ruble notes are titled "State Treasury Notes" and the 10, 25, 50 and 100 ruble notes "State Bank Notes", but all were issued by the State Bank of the USSR. After 1956, when the Karelo-Finnish SSR ceased to be a union republic, the denomination text was printed in 15 languages instead of 16 -- hence two types of every denomination: "16 republics" (1947) and "15 republics" (from 1957 — the 1957 modification: the notes keep the original 1947 date). Within each type, collectors tell apart number fonts and series formats. Not every red "ОБРАЗЕЦ" (specimen) overprint on 15-republic notes marks a specimen: some of these notes carry a later cancellation applied for collectors after 1961. All notes were withdrawn by the 1961 reform (1 April 1961).

Other items of the period

• 1 ruble (1947) Pick# 216
  16 republics
• 1 ruble (1947) Pick# 217
  15 republics
• 3 rubles (1947) Pick# 218
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• 3 rubles (1947) Pick# 219
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• 5 rubles (1947) Pick# 220
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• 5 rubles (1947) Pick# 221
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• 10 rubles (1947) Pick# 225
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• 10 rubles (1947) Pick# 226
  15 republics
• 25 rubles (1947) Pick# 227
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• 25 rubles (1947) Pick# 228
  15 republics
• 50 rubles (1947) Pick# 229
  16 republics
• 50 rubles (1947) Pick# 230
  15 republics
• 100 rubles (1947) Pick# 231
  16 republics
• 100 rubles (1947) Pick# 232
  15 republics