Russian Empire 20 Kopek Assignat, 1831 (Grand Duchy of Finland Issue)
Russian Empire
1831
1819-1843
20
Nº 2710
Style
The assignat features a classical, somewhat minimalist design typical for early 19th-century paper currency, with a strong emphasis on typography. At the top center, the double-headed eagle emblem of the Russian Empire is prominently displayed. The denomination is written in three languages: 'Tjugu Kopek' in an elegant, ornate Swedish script, 'ДВАДЦАТЬ КОПЕЕКЪ' in Cyrillic (Russian), and 'Kaxi Kymmendä Ropekaa' in Latin script (Finnish). The numerical denomination '20 KOP' is enclosed in a simple rectangular frame at the lower left. The overall layout is clean, with the main text block detailing the banknote's purpose and backing. Signatures are placed in two horizontal shaded rectangles at the bottom center, indicating official authorization.
Description
This is a 20 Kopek assignat issued by the Russian Empire for the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1831. These notes, often referred to as Finnish Assignats, were crucial for the local economy of the autonomous Grand Duchy, which had been incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1809. The trilingual inscription (Swedish, Russian, Finnish) reflects Finland's linguistic heritage and its administrative structure during the imperial period. Swedish was an official language alongside Finnish, and Russian was the language of the ruling empire. The text states that 'UTI STORFURSTENDÖMET FINLANDS WÄXEL-DEPOSITIONS-OCH LÅNE-BANK ÄR INSATT EN SUMMA AF TJUGU KOPEK KEJSERLIGA RYSKA BANKO-ASSIGNATIONER, HVILKA 20 KOPEK INNEHAFVAREN HÄR-AF HAR ATT ÅTERBEKOMMA' (In the Grand Duchy of Finland's Exchange, Deposit, and Loan Bank, a sum of twenty kopeks of Imperial Russian Bank Assignats has been deposited, which 20 kopeks the holder hereof has to receive back). This indicates the assignat's role as a backed paper currency, redeemable for Imperial Russian assignats. Such notes were vital for facilitating trade and daily transactions in Finland, especially at lower denominations, supplementing the main Russian currency system.