I have acquired this 10000 Rubles banknote issued by “High Command of Armed Forces of South Russia” in 1919, from an online platform.
When I touch it, it gives an ordinary paper feel, as if printed on an inkjet printer. It’s dimensions are very very accurate and also has a very authentic watermark on it. However under microscope, the quality seems very poor.
I cannot answer your question, but the reason for replying is that I am curious about your experience with this website. I looked at your link with google translating the page. I have some questions, if I may. In as sense, I am asking for your review of the site and seller.
1. How many notes (of all kinds) did you buy in that purchase?
2. How much was the shipping for your specific purchase?
3. Was it sent by regular air mail or by registered mail? If registered mail, were you able to track it?
4. Was the shipment protected by good packing?
5. Did you communicate with the seller for any reason? In English or Russian? What was your experience?
6. Would you recommend this site?...or not? Why?
On the issue of examining notes under a microscope...
7. What kind of microscope did you use? Digital or non-digital?
On the issue of your specific note, you say "When I touch it, it gives an ordinary paper feel, as if printed on an inkjet printer."
8. Do you mean that it was smooth without any feel of raised ink that you can feel it under your fingers?
Well, I used this Russian Website as a reference material for my research. I did not purchased it from Russia but from a third party seller. I won’t recommend this or any other website, because purchasing paper money is a risky bet. You can see people are selling many replicas on EBay, so you never know until you get the note in your hands whether it is genuine or fake. In earlier times there were not many security features on notes, so they are easier to fake. I use a cheap digital microscope. The note felt smooth under fingers, no raised ink.
Secondly the note is in very very better shape, as if coming fresh from printing press.
Actually, I just wanted the experts to tell by looking at microscopic results whether they are good enough to be considered as genuine?
I agree that the collector has to be careful when buying on the internet. I have about 90 counterfeit notes in my collection of 5100+ notes, the vast majority being counterfeited by Chinese eBay sellers, especially the notes produced from 1949-1959. I bought two sets from China. The first set of sixty notes bought seven years ago looked like they were printed on recycled paper from supermarket bags (remember those...before plastic bags?). I foolishly gave away that set. An identical and more recent set bought a couple of years ago is on better paper but still phony looking. This set is still being sold on eBay.
Ok, Yes modern forgeries are plenty in the market.
Actually, In 1919 White Army which was under a cash-crunch printed this money. Further the printing was outsourced to foreign countries such as England. Maybe an Army which was under funded, did compromised on the quality of these notes.
I think it may be difficult to tell if it is genuine or fake by looking only at the pictures you provide. The matter is that to be able to say if it is fake, you need pictures of the genuine banknote under the microscope. I'll be surprised to learn that there are many people checking their banknotes under the microscope as you do :))
Having said that, I assume that your banknote is genuine.
1) This is the banknote printed during the Civil War in the South of Russia (Rostov-on-Don); it was printed in few series (starting with letters A and Я) and two hues (grey and pale greenish). Most of the banknotes printed in Rostov are easily attainable and are not so expensive, including this one.
2) As far as I remember, this banknote has no raised ink.
3) It's quite normal to get this banknote in UNC condition. So, do not be surprised that it's well-preserved.
Thanks a lot for confirming RmCoin. Actually Microscope helps in differentiate between various styles of printing. We can easily tell whether something is printed using a printer, or lithography.
But if a forger has used the original methods in printing a fake banknote, then it will be really hard to differentiate. Maybe investigation of the paper (under UV etc) may help in that case.
Quote: "DevanamPiya Piyadasi"Thanks a lot for confirming RmCoin. Actually Microscope helps in differentiate between various styles of printing. We can easily tell whether something is printed using a printer, or lithography.
But if a forger has used the original methods in printing a fake banknote, then it will be really hard to differentiate. Maybe investigation of the paper (under UV etc) may help in that case.
thanks for your comments.
Thank you for your reply. I'm curious if you have pictures of banknotes, under microscope, printed using a printer and lithography. It would be good to visually evaluate the difference.
(500x under Microscope)