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Russian-American Company 1 Rouble ND (1816-1867) Pick UNL Kardakoff 53.4...
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$18,975.00
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Description
Exceedingly Rare Green Ink 1 Rouble Russian-American Company Note- One of Two Known
Russian-American Company 1 Rouble ND (1816-1867) Pick UNL Kardakoff 53.4 One of only two notes out of the eighteen 1 Rouble pieces listed in Zander's 1996 Census with green ink printing, this is the Ex Henry Clifford example. The note has resided in a private collection for the past 28 years since our consignor obtained it at The Clifford Collection auction in 1982. The Alaskan Parchment Scrip of the Russian American Company 1816-1867, Randolph Zander's 1996 48-page monograph, is the most comprehensive reference on the subject. Zander expanded upon Ted Uhl's earlier research.Chartered by Czar Paul I in 1799, the Russian-American Company had a monopoly on trade in Russian America. The territory included the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and extended as far south as present-day Northern California. Fort Ross, located in Sonoma County, CA was established by the Russian-American Company (RAC) in 1812. The state-sponsored trading company also had Fort Elizabeth built on the island of Kauai, Hawaii in an attempt to gain influence there as well. The RAC was similar in scope to the Hudson's Bay Company and the East India Companies.
Notes were produced by the Russian-American Company and were issued circa 1816 to 1867. Seven different denominations have been reported: 10, 25, and 50 Kopeks along with 1, 5, 10, and 25 Roubles.
One of the primary businesses of the Russian-American Company was fur trading. The notes are often referred to as "walrus or sealskin money" because some of the notes were actually printed on walrus skins. Otter skins were shipped in waterproof walrus skin bags and the bags were then recycled to produce the notes. In Russia the notes were known as Kozhanye (skins).
In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated the sale of Alaska to the United States for $7 million dollars and the RAC ceased operations. The purchase was known as "Seward's Folly" until gold was discovered.
An estimated 150-200 total pieces of Russian-American Company scrip are believed to survive today. The majority of the other eighteen known 1 Rouble denomination examples are housed in museums around the world: including the Hermitage, the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in St. Petersburg, the Smithsonian, the National Museum in Helsinki, and the Ulster Museum in Belfast; leaving very few pieces available to private collectors.
Zander noted that there does not appear to be a signature on this piece and theorized that if there is indeed no signature, the "use of green ink for the ruble value carried over from the 1842 issue, when it started, to the succeeding issue." The note measures 58 x 40 mm and is printed in green ink on off-white parchment.
Graded by PMG as Choice Very Fine 35 Net, PMG mentioned restoration as the reason for the net grade. The "restoration" involved the repair of a tear approximately 9 mm long at top center.
Given the scarcity of this important note and the appeal it holds for collectors of both Russian and U.S. material, this piece is highly desirable and is destined for an exceptional collection.
Auction Info
2010 June Memphis, TN Signature Currency Auction #3510 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
June, 2010
17th-21st
Thursday-Monday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 3
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 4,697
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15% of the successful bid per lot.
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