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Denomination: 500 Rubles
Year of First Issue: 1912
Governing Body: Czar Nicholas II *
The 500 Ruble note, introduced in 1912, is by far the physically largest banknote printed by the Russian Empire and one of the largest banknotes seen in the world. The note bears the portrait of Czar Peter I, also known as "Peter the Great." This was the largest denomination printed by the State Bank. The note also has an impressive watermark of Czar Peter I, a former ruler. This feature of a former ruler's watermark has previously only been seen in the 25 Ruble and 100 Ruble notes.
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The note exists in two signature varieties: Konshin (shown above) and Shipov. The Konshin signature is much more scarce than the Shipov variant. Although such a difference i n rarity also applies to all the other banknotes, it is extraordinarily more significant with the 500 Ruble note since it was the largest denomination and was much more difficult to afford in the year 1912 under Konshin than the range of years 1912-1917, a time when the Ruble began entering hyperinflation, overseen by Shipov.
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