 Russian-American Company. 1 Rouble. Printed in aqua-green on thick, off-white parchment type medium with very minor surface granularity. Like the 25 Kopeck and 50 Kopeck notes above, the surfaces are essentially very smooth on both sides. 60mm by 47mm. The size is similar to the 10 Kopeck notes, but with no holes in the upper corners. The lack of holes would differentiate the higher denomination note for the basically illiterate native population and helped to identify the note. The common face (as catalogued in the Clifford Sale) with a company seal using a double headed Imperial Russian eagle within an oval frame, legend in Russian translated UNDER THE HIGH PATRONAGE OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY. The denomination in words below the seal. The back (often considered the face by many) has a finely engraved oval protector with spiral details with the Russian legend translated NOTE IN AMERICA with the denomination '1 PYB' below. The serial number frame with 'No' is at the bottom of this oval, outlined white to allow the serial number to be written in. At the base is a shaded box with the authorized signature. No.7268. Signature very faint or not visible. Eighteen examples on the 1996 Census by Zander, nine in museums, with this note reported as Sodermann (green ink noted). Only two examples on the Census are listed with the green ink printing, the other being the Henry Clifford example (No.7827).
Choice Very Fine and perhaps finer. Deep and distinctive color printing that was used only on the 1 Rouble denomination, according to the Clifford catalogue. A deep impression on a slightly thinner parchment. The oval printing from the back shows a deeply embossed outline to the face. The face printing is slightly blurry on the seal and particularly on the vignette. Heavy handling across the horizontal with a well soiled crease shown on the right face. There is some moderate soiling on the face and back. The serial number is magnificently drawn and vivid. Similar to lot 349 in the Clifford Sale and only slightly lesser in grade. A very sharp example and a wonderful type note from this series.
Ex Bernth Ahlstrom, Lausanne Switzerland, April 9, 1973; Private Client; Leonid Sodermann, Helsinki, Finland, February 8, 1966.
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