Rare and collectible banknotes from the Caucasian country of Georgia basically come from two different eras: the Soviet period and the modern period. Collecting Georgia banknotes now, from either era, is a fun pursuit and surprisingly perhaps, even late-1920s Georgian paper money in rubles and kopeks can be very affordable. All banknotes from the country of Georgia are interesting pieces that are beloved by collectors of currency notes from this region.
Early Georgia Banknotes 1919-1921
Georgia was in fact independent from 1918 until 1921, and notes were issued during this time. First, a set of five “debenture bonds” was issued in 1919. These were all precisely dated (January 15, 1919) and were wide, elongated pieces mostly featuring text. (Look for the Cyrillic phrase ОБЯЗАТЕЛЬСТВО КАЗНАЧЕИСТВА).
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The face values of these notes were:
- 25 rubles
- 100 rubles
- 500 rubles
- 1000 rubles
- 5000 rubles
Achieving a complete set of these very first Georgia notes should not be a problem; just watch sales listings and decide what price and condition are suitable for your collection.
Throughout 1919, 1920, and 1921, a set of ten true Georgian banknotes was issued piecemeal. These were the first to prominently feature the Georgian script, although Russia’s Cyrillic was still used as well in the designs. The notes, still in rubles (and, in one case only, kopeks) used simple but powerful designs. These notes were designed to look understated, but proud.
1 ruble = 100 kopeks
- 50 kopeks
- 1 ruble
- 3 rubles
- 5 rubles
- 10 rubles
- 50 rubles
- 100 rubles
- 500 rubles
- 1,000 rubles
- 5,000 rubles
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Again, all of these are perfectly within the realm of even modest collectors’ budgets, and there are varieties (watermarks, et cetera) to add spice to your collection. But these would be the final Georgian banknotes for several decades, as Russia took over in 1921 and banknote production stopped.
Soviet Georgia Banknote Series, 1921-1922
Well, that was soon true. But first, in 1921 and 1922, several notes were printed in ever-higher denominations. These came soon after Georgia was taken back into the Russian fold. These notes tend to be rarer and thus a bit more expensive to collectors today, but (especially in lesser condition) can still be fun and affordable for most. The face values of the Georgia SSR notes are:
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- 5,000 rubles
- 10,000 rubles
- 50,000 rubles
- 100,000 rubles
- 500,000 rubles
- 1,000,000 rubles
- 5,000,000 rubles
Patience, timing, and knowledge will be required to secure a full set of these. More than any other, perhaps, it’s this list of Georgian banknotes that will be the most challenging to complete a set of.
Modern Georgia Banknotes Post-Independence, 1993-
Immediately upon independence, the country of Georgia kind of went crazy with its banknotes. No fewer than four series were issued in 1993 alone. Several others followed in the 1990s and beyond.
New Georgia banknotes use the currency lari. At first, the “coupon” notes of 1993 (kuponi, or კუპონი) fought against inflation. The situation yielded many collectible banknotes. Face values from 1 lari all the way up to 1,000,000 lari were issued.
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Georgia Currency 1993-
1 lari (ლარი) = 100 tetri (თეთრი) (no banknotes exist in tetri)
In 1995, the lari was revalued. From this point, 1 lari was equal to 1,000,000 so-called “old lari” and the situation stabilized. Banknotes issues, thus, calmed down a bit. More-recent issues have tended to top out at 100 or 500 lari. Notes are issued by the National Bank of Georgia (საქართველოს ეროვნული ბანკი).
Buying Rare and Collectible Georgian Banknotes Today
Although most Georgian banknotes are easy enough to find and are still affordable, there are some rare varieties, uncirculated examples, and of course misprints and errors that may appeal to collectors. Getting a complete set of certain years or issues (especially the wild days of 1993) can be great fun, and may be relatively easy if you can find a seller offering a complete or nearly-complete set for a good price.
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Note that there technically is no plural of the currency unit “lari”; it’s “1 lari” or “1 billion lari”. However, some sellers will use the neologism “laris” in their listings.
Georgia paper money history is quite unique. Despite its simpleness, there are many ways to structure a collection of Georgian banknotes. If you collect notes from the area (Azerbaijan banknotes, Armenian banknotes, etc) then you will find much to love about currency notes from Georgia as well.
