5 rubles — USSR (1961)
Pick# 224


Photo:
ngdawa (CC BY-NC-SA); Daniel LeBowsky (CC BY-NC-SA) · Numista
Non-commercial use only
Watermark
Stars over the whole field.
There is no watermark photo yet. Share a watermark photo
Special facts
The 5-ruble note of the 1961 series is the only denomination in the lineup with a printing-method experiment inside a single series range: partway through issue 4, part of the run was switched to offset printing instead of the usual Orlov method, in an attempt to cut costs. The experiment didn't stick, and Goznak reverted to Orlov printing from the very next issue. There is no way to tell such a note apart by the series letters alone — only by the serial number.
Watermark

Photo:
Daniel LeBowsky (CC BY-NC-SA) · Numista
Non-commercial use only
Stars across the note.
Printing defects
Interesting production defects also turn up on 1961-series 5-ruble notes. One of the most distinctive is the "butterfly": a folded corner of the printing sheet causes the trimmed note to come out with an irregular, skewed shape. There are also notes with a crumpled serial number, producing an uneven, "dancing" digit style, and notes where a severely misaligned sheet picked up two separate serial numbers with different series on the same side.
Font

Font 1 on top, font 2 below.
Print type

Orlov printing on the left, offset printing on the right.
Paper type
1961-series notes were printed on two types of paper. The first is matte, greyish-yellow, and is less common. The second is white, glossy on one side, and is far more common. Different denominations switched paper type at different issues. Telling them apart by eye is difficult — it's more reliable to compare several notes side by side.
Specifications
- Period
- 1961 Monetary Reform
- Currency
- 1 ruble = 100 kopecks
- Issue type
- Circulation
- Material
- Paper
- Size
- 114.0 × 57.0 mm
- Issuer
- Goznak
- Dominant color
- blue
- Watermark
- Yes
- Security thread
- No
- Demonetized
- Dec. 31, 1993
Variants
Your variety is not in the list? Propose it
Help estimate the varieties — use the “Estimate” button in a table row.
| Year | Series | Print run | Price | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | — | — | Estimate | Specimen, serial "AA 0000000" (also perforated). P# 224s | |
| 1961 | АА-ЭЯ | — | Estimate | Issue 1: font 1, blue-tinted paper. Pick# 224.. P# 224 | |
| 1961 | Аа-Эа | — | Estimate | Issue 2: font 1, white paper (first issue on white paper). Pick# 224.. P# 224 | |
| 1961 | аА-эЯ | — | Estimate | Issue 3: font 1, white paper. Pick# 224.. P# 224 | |
| 1961 | аа-эя | — | Estimate | Issue 4: font 1, white paper, print method varies (mostly Intaglio/Orlov, with an offset experiment on part of the run; distinguishable only by serial number, not by series). Pick# 224.. P# 224 | |
| 1961 | АА-МП | — | Estimate | Issue 5: font 2 (first use), white paper, Intaglio/Orlov print. Pick# 224.. P# 224 | |
| 1961 | ЯА-ЯЯ | — | Estimate | Replacement series (Я-prefix) for defective notes; existed for issue 1 only. Pick# 224.. P# 224 |
Other items of the period
-
1 kopeck (1961–1991)
Y# 126
-
2 kopecks (1961–1991)
Y# 127
-
3 kopecks (1961–1991)
Y# 128
-
5 kopecks (1961–1991)
Y# 129
-
10 kopecks (1961–1991)
Y# 130
-
15 kopecks (1961–1991)
Y# 131
-
20 kopecks (1961–1991)
Y# 132
- 50 kopecks (1961) Y# 133a.1
-
50 kopecks (1964–1991)
Y# 133a.2
-
1 ruble (1961)
Pick# 222
- 1 ruble (1961) Y# 134a.1
-
1 ruble (1964–1991)
Y# 134a.2
-
3 rubles (1961)
Pick# 223
- 5 rubles (1961) Pick# 224
-
10 rubles (1961)
Pick# 233
-
25 rubles (1961)
Pick# 234
-
50 rubles (1961)
Pick# 235
-
100 rubles (1961)
Pick# 236
Report an error
Suggest an edit
Log in to suggest an edit. Log in