Finland (1909-1922)

This serie of banknotes belongs to the period in which, after the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the first Finnish general strike, the political system was democratized, despite remaining under Russian sovereignty as Grand Duchy of Finland. After the elections of 1917, the Social Democrat Oskari Tokoi led Finladia who, with the dethronement of the Tsar, terminated the personal union that linked the Russian Empire with the Grand Duchy of Finland, although it cooperated with the Provisional Government. With the October Revolution of 1917, Finnish politics changed completely: non-socialists wanted total independence and socialists viewed the Soviet Union as an example to follow. Independence was declared on December 22 and began a short civil war between reds (workers and peasants, Finnish-speaking) and whites (middle and upper classes, Swedish-speaking), which ended up winning the latter. The Kingdom of Finland was established with a German king, but its defeat in the First World War led to the proclamation of a republic presided over by Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg in 1919. The republic had to face the demands of the Åland Islands (they wanted to join Sweden) and relations with the USSR improved after the Treaty of Tartu (in which Finland desisted from claiming East Karelia but won Petsamo). There are banknotes of 25 pences, 50 pences, 1 Finnish markka, 5 Finnish markka, 10 Finnish markka, 20 Finnish markka, 50 Finnish markka, 100 Finnish markka, 500 Finnish markka, 1.000 Finnish markka y 10,000 Finnish markka.

1 Finnish markka (yhden markan/en mark)

This banknotes worth 1 markka was first circulated in 1909. On the main side center appears three tulips and its leaves. In its sides there are two 1's, the written value of the banknote and the name of the National Bank in Finnish (Suomen Pankki) and in Swedish (Finlands Bank). There's a text saying that the currency is based in gold and the payment guaranteed by the National Bank and the rest of the banknote is fulled with decorative elements.
On the other side of the banknote appears a 1 in the center, the written banknote in Finnish and Swedish, the written value of the National Bank in both languages and the rest of the banknote is fulled with geometric decoration. This banknote has no digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 14.2 cm x 6.9 cm.