1000 Roubles

Belarus issued this note in 1992 as the country scrambled to establish an independent monetary system following the Soviet collapse. The rouble had already been in circulation as a transitional currency, but persistent shortages of Russian roubles forced the new Belarusian authorities to print denominations at pace — this 1000-rouble note being among the higher values in the early series, reflecting inflation that was already severe before the ink was dry.

A single watermark is the only security provision, which tells you something about the conditions under which the National Bank was operating. The print run of just over twelve million is modest for a high-denomination note in a country of ten million people managing double-digit monthly inflation.