#338 Lithuania 500

Identity

Where & when

Country Lithuania

Currency Talonas

Denomination 500

Series name Talonas series

Series year 1993

Issue year 1993

Era 1990_present

Legal status demonetized

Predecessor currency Soviet Ruble

Successor currency Lithuanian Litas

Subjects & design

What's on the note

Front portrait —

Reverse subject Gray Wolves

Watermark —

Color palette #d4c5b0,#8b7355,#a0c8d0

Themes wildlife,indigenous_culture

Language / script Latin

Front: The coat of arms of Lithuania (Vytis) at left showing a mounted knight on horseback. This national symbol, dating from the 14th century Grand Duchy of Lithuania, represents the defender of the nation and appears on Lithuania's state emblem. The denomination 500 is prominently displayed at center with decorative oak branches, symbolizing strength and endurance. The text 'LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKA' (Republic of Lithuania) and '1993' indicate the issuing authority and year. The phrase 'PENKI ŠIMTAI TALONŲ' (Five Hundred Talonas) appears in Lithuanian.

Back: Gray wolves (Canis lupus), a pair depicted standing and resting. The wolf holds special significance in Lithuanian culture and mythology, appearing in folklore as a symbol of strength, freedom, and the Lithuanian spirit. The inscription in Lithuanian reads 'VERTYBINIS POPIERIUS. UŽ JO PADIRBINĖJIMĄ BAUDŽIAMA PAGAL ĮSTATYMĄ' (Security paper. Its counterfeiting is punishable by law). Wolves were and remain part of Lithuania's natural heritage, with the country maintaining one of Europe's larger wolf populations.

Production

How it was made

Issuer Bank of Lithuania

Issuer (native) Lietuvos Bankas

Printer —

Engraver —

Material paper

Dimensions (mm) 145x72

Security features: microprint,intaglio,latent_image

Geography

Lithuania in Europe

Lithuania in Europe. Other countries on the same continent shown in muted grey.

The story

Background & history

The Talonas was Lithuania's transitional currency issued from 1991 to 1993 following independence from the Soviet Union. These temporary coupons were introduced on May 1, 1992, as a parallel currency alongside the Soviet ruble, becoming the sole legal tender on October 1, 1992. The 500 talonas note was issued in 1993, near the end of the series. The Talonas was replaced by the Litas on June 25, 1993, at a rate of 100 talonas = 1 litas, ending Lithuania's brief period with this transitional currency during the economic instability following Soviet collapse.

Catalogue

Collector references

Pick # P-45

Krause ID —

Rarity tier common

Series range 1991–1993

Provenance

How it came to me

Acquired date —

Acquired from —

Acquired price —

Currency —

Condition

Grade UNC

Serial number KE495631

Serial prefix KE

Valuation

What it's worth now

$2–$8

Type default range $2–$8

Valuation history (1)

date	low	high	currency	source	note
2026-05-08 17:45:10	2.0	8.0	USD	ai	from claude-sonnet-4-5

Technical

History & extractions

AI extractions (2)

research:openai · gpt-4o 2026-05-09 13:50:56

status: ok · step 10 · $0.0272 · 6722↓ + 1038↑ tokens

anthropic · claude-sonnet-4-5 2026-05-08 17:45:10

status: ok · step 1 · $0.0369 · 6321↓ + 1194↑ tokens

Edits & decisions (1)

Approved 2026-05-09 13:51:20

review_status: AI extracted → Approved

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