5 Soviet Ruble (SUR) #460

Front

Soviet State Treasury Note (Государственный Казначейский Билет) of 5 rubles. The note displays the denomination in a central ornamental rosette with the text "ПЯТЬ РУБЛЕЙ" (Five Rubles) and multilingual denominations in the languages of the Soviet republics (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Uzbek, Kazakh, Georgian, Azerbaijani, Lithuanian, Moldavian, Latvian, Kirghiz, Tajik, Armenian, Turkmen, Estonian). The text includes a legal tender declaration stating these state treasury notes are accepted throughout the USSR and are equal to coins in payment. The 1961 currency reform redenominated the ruble at 10:1, removing a zero from all denominations.

Back

Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, the iconic clock tower facing Red Square, built in 1491 by Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari and topped with its distinctive star in the Soviet era. The tower serves as the ceremonial entrance to the Kremlin and houses the famous Kremlin chimes. The State Coat of Arms of the USSR appears at upper left, featuring the hammer and sickle, globe, rising sun, and wheat sheaves bound with ribbons inscribed with the Soviet republics' languages. Date "1961" appears at lower left, indicating the year of the currency reform and series introduction.

History

The 1961 Soviet ruble series was introduced as part of Nikita Khrushchev's currency reform, which redenominated the currency at a ratio of 10:1 (10 old rubles = 1 new ruble). This reform aimed to simplify monetary calculations and was accompanied by a complete redesign of all denominations. The 5-ruble note remained in circulation until the dissolution of the USSR on December 26, 1991, when the State Bank of the USSR ceased operations and was succeeded by the Central Bank of Russia. This series is notable for its multilingual inscriptions reflecting the fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics. The serial number prefix "нЭ" (Cyrillic) was used in various print runs throughout the series' 30-year lifespan. Printed by Goznak (Гознак), the Soviet state security printing works.