1905 3 Ruble Imperial Russia

 Hi all, Jay here with a new note from the Russian Empire:

The 1905 three ruble issue is another inexpensive and attractive note from the late imperial period and was first issued in a very significant year in Russian history. 1905 marked Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and the occurrence of the  Russian Revolution of 1905.  Combined, these events marked the beginning of the end for the Czarist government.  Although it took the strain of World War I to finally topple the Czar, the 1905 revolution and ignominy associated with the wartime defeat, the first of a European 'Great Power' by an Asian nation,  created tensions in Russian society that proved overwhelming. 

The front of this note is shown below and depicts the imperial coat of arms.  The coloring is mostly green with underlying pink and red accents.  A series of repeating watermarks of the number '3' cover much of the note and can be seen most distinctly near the borders below.  Also on this image, note the Shipov signature on the left.  This note comes in three signature varieties: Timashev, Konshin, and Shipov.


 







The back of the note, shown below, also depicts the Imperial coat of arms along with two large numeral threes.  The elegant border designs around the main features of the note, both on the front and back, were designed to be both pleasing to the eye as well as a deterrent to counterfeiters.

This note measures 98 by 152 mm and is a relatively common specimen even in higher grades.  As always, feel free to post any questions or comments!