Russian Empire 10 Ruble Assignat, 1819 (1819-1843 Period)
The assignat features a prominent double-headed imperial eagle at the top, crowned and holding a scepter and orb, with the denomination '10' on a shield on its chest, surrounded by laurel branches. The central text is in Cyrillic. The design includes ornate geometric borders and decorative flourishes in the corners. The year '1819' is integrated into a decorative cartouche in the bottom left, balanced by 'ГОДА' (YEAR) in a similar cartouche on the bottom right. The ink is a distinct green-grey on light paper.
Description
This is a 10 Ruble Assignat from the Russian Empire, issued in 1819. This particular issue marks the beginning of a new series of assignats (1819-1843) introduced to stabilize the currency system after the Napoleonic Wars. The banknote features the majestic double-headed imperial eagle at its top, crowned and holding a scepter and orb, with the denomination '10' enclosed in a shield on its chest, surrounded by laurel branches. The central text declares: 'Объявителю сей государственной Ассиг. Наши платить Ассигнаціонный Банкъ ДЕСЯТЬ РУБЛЕЙ ходячею монетою.' (To the bearer of this State Assignat Our Assignat Bank shall pay TEN RUBLES in circulating coin.) The year of issue, '1819,' is elegantly integrated into a decorative cartouche in the bottom left corner, mirroring a similar cartouche with the word 'ГОДА' (YEAR) on the right. The serial number 'N°6881209' is prominently displayed twice at the bottom. Signatures of the Manager R. Kh. Khavensky ('Управляющий Р. Х. Хавенский') and Cashier Valov ('Кассиръ Валовъ') are visible, attesting to its authenticity. The design features ornate geometric borders and decorative flourishes in the corners. Printed in green-grey ink on light paper, this assignat represents a significant historical artifact from Russia's early 19th-century financial landscape.