Russia (1898-1905)

This serie of banknotes belongs to the period of Russo-Japanese Wars and reigning czar Nicholas II, the last czar. There are banknotes of 1 Russian ruble, 3 Russian rubles, 5 Russian rubles, 10 Russian rubles, 25 Russian rubles, 50 Russian rubles, 100 Russian rubles, 500 Russian rubles and 1,000 Russian rubles.

1 Russian ruble (одинь рубль)

This banknote worth 1 ruble was first circulated April the 21st of 1898. On the main side left, you can see Russian Empire's coat of arms, consisting in a double-headed eagle holding coat of arms (from left to right: Kazan; Poland, Crimea; Kiev, Novgorod, Vladimir; Moscow (center), Finland, Siberia, Caucasus, Astrakhan). The text in the center says that the Central Bank changes banknotes for gold coins in a certain proportion. In the upper part it's written State loan credit (Государственная кредитная карта).
On the other side of the banknote, it can be seen Russian Empire's coat of arms, surrounded with a circle with the written value. There are two branches (oak and olive) and in their left, a big 1 with the word ruble in Russian. In the right there are three texts saying that all banknotes have the same value in the Empire and that counterfeiting it is punished with working fields. This banknote has rhombus with dots inside as digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 15 cm x 9 cm.

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Germany (1883-1914)

This serie of banknotes (called Reichbanknote) is the last before the declaration of the First World War, in the last years of Otto von Bismarck as chancellor in which the Berlin conference takes place (in which the European powers divided Africa) and the Kaiser Wilhelm II, who changed foreign policy and ended up causing WW1. There are banknotes of 5 Deutsche Mark, 10 Deutsche Mark, 20 Deutsche Mark, 50 Deutsche Mark, 100 Deutsche Mark and 1,000 Deutsche Mark.

5 Deutsche Mark (fünf Mark)

This banknote worth 5 Deutsche Mark was first circulated in October the 31st 1904. On the main side it can be seen Germania (allegoric godness of Germany) with a shield with the eagle (called Reichsadler) of the German Empire (Deutsches Reich), holding a naked kid with a dove in his hand (peace symbol). Morever it has the written value of the banknote, the name of the currency (Reichskassenschein) and the National Bank one in German (Reichschuldenverwaltung) and vegetable and decorative elements.

On the other side of the banknote there's a Modernist dragon with a glass full of richness, biting the written value of the banknote. There's also a blue stamp with an Reichsadler and in the corners there are four 5's and a text saying that counterfeiting banknotes is punished with more than two years of prission. This banknote has spirales as digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 12.5 cm x 8 cm.

10 Deutsche Mark (zehn Mark)

This banknote worth 10 Deutsche Mark was first circulated in October the 6th 1906. On the main side it appears a woman with a caduceus and a tree branch in a hand and in the other, a paddle. Morever there are three 10's (two of them in upper corners), a gap for the digital watermark plus the written value of the banknote, the name of the currency (Reichskassenschein) and the National Bank one in German (Reichschuldenverwaltung) and decorative elements.

On the other side of the banknote there's the written value of the banknote and a big 10. There's also a blue stamp with an Reichsadler, a gap for the watermark and a text saying that counterfeiting banknotes is punished with more than two years of prission, holded by two women. This banknote has Germania as digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 14 cm x 9 cm. 

20 Deutsche Mark (zwanzig Mark)

This banknote worth 20 Deutsche Mark was first circulated in April the 21st 1910. On the main side there's the written value of the banknote with Gothic characters and the eagle (called Reichsadler) of the German Empire (Deutsches Reich). Morever there are four 20's, two red stamps plus the written value of the banknote, the name of the currency (Reichbanknote) and the National Bank one in German (Reichsbankdirektorium) and decorative elements.
On the other side of the banknote there's a big 20, surrounded with decorative elements, and two texts saying that counterfeiting banknotes is punished with more than two years of prission. This banknote has rhombuses with crosses inside as digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 13.4 cm x 8.9 cm.

100 Deutsche Mark (ein hundert Mark)

This banknote worth 100 Deutsche Mark was first circulated in February the 7th 1908. On the main side there's the written value of the banknote with Gothic characters and the eagle (called Reichsadler) of the German Empire (Deutsches Reich) in the background. Morever there's a 100, two green stamps plus the name of the currency (Reichbanknote) and the National Bank one in German (Reichsbankdirektorium) and decorative elements.
There's also a text saying that counterfeiting the banknote is punished with more than two years in prission. On the other side of the banknote there's woman's head in a medallion, holded by two women (the left one, a warrior; and the right one, a farmer). There are also two 100's in the upper corners and the rest of the banknote is fulled with decorative elements. This banknote has no digital watermark but blue hairs scattered throughout the left part of the banknote. The size of this banknote is 15.4 cm x 10.3 cm.

100 Deutsche Mark (ein hundert Mark)

This banknote worth 100 Deutsche Mark was first circulated in April the 21st 1910. On the main side right it can be seen two portraits of the Roman gods Mercury (left) and Ceres (right) and the written value of the banknote with Gothic characters. There are also two eagles (called Reichsadler) of the German Empire (Deutsches Reich) holding two 100 and two red stamps. Morever there's the name of the currency (Reichbanknote) and the National Bank one in German (Reichsbankdirektorium) and decorative elements.

There's also a text saying that counterfeiting the banknote is punished with more than two years in prission. On the other side of the banknote there's Germania (allegoric godness of Germany) with a shield with the eagle (called Reichsadler) of the German Empire (Deutsches Reich) and a sword, sitted under an oak tree, with warships in the sea. There are also four 100's, a gap for the watermark, and the rest of the banknote is fulled with decorative elements. This banknote has kaiser Wilhelm I and a 100 as digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 20.9 cm x 10.2 cm.

1,000 Deutsche Mark (ein tausend Mark)

This banknote worth 1,000 Deutsche Mark was first circulated in April the 21st 1910. On the main side there's the written value of the banknote with Gothic characters and a 1,000. Morever there are two other 1,000's, two red stamps with the eagle (called Reichsadler) of the German Empire (Deutsches Reich) plus the name of the currency (Reichbanknote) and the National Bank one in German (Reichsbankdirektorium) and decorative elements.

There's also a text saying that counterfeiting the banknote is punished with more than two years in prission. On the other side of the banknote it can be seen two women (Navigation godness holding a paddle in the left and Agriculture holding a cornucopia in the right) embracing the coat of arms of the German Empire. There are also two 1,000's surrounded with decorative elements. This banknote has no digital watermark but blue hairs scattered throughout the left part of the banknote. The size of this banknote is 18.7 cm x 11 cm.

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Cuba (1896-1905)

This serie of banknotes belongs to the last one under Spanish control, in the period in which USA declared and won the war against Spain. There are banknotes of 1 peso, 5 pesos, 10 pesos, 20 pesos and 50 pesos.

1 peso (un peso)

This banknotes worth 1 pesos was first circulated May the 15th of 1896. On the main side center you can two coat of arms: the right one is the one of Spain and the left one, Havana one. They are topped with Borbon's dinasty crown and in the lower part there are two globes (Old World, Europe; New Wrld, America), a bundle of sugar cane and caduceus (symbol of commerce). It has four 1's, one in each upper corner and one left and another right the written value of the banknote in Spanish.
In this times, 1 peso was equivalent to 5 Spanish pesetas. On the other side you can see in the regent queen Maria Christina (the legal king was under age), with with the name of the National Bank in Spanish (Banco español de la isla de Cuba). It has two 1's and geometric elements surrounding them. This banknote has no digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 9.4 cm x 4.6 cm.

5 pesos (cinco pesos)

This banknotes worth 5 pesos was first circulated May the 15th of 1896. On the main side center you can see Roman god Mercury (Hermes for Greeks), messenger of gods, god of trade, thieves and travelers. He is sat on a beach and ships sail in the horizon.  The inner part has gold colour. It has six 5's, one in each corner and one left and another right. In this times, 1 peso was equivalent to 5 Spanish pesetas. The banknote is decorated is geometric elements.

On the other side you can see in the middle a circle with Borbon kings coat of arms of Castile and Leon, with the name of the National Bank in Spanish (Banco español de la isla de Cuba). It has an stamp that says "plata" (silver, and has crowns too) that means that this banknote was exchanged for a silver coin of the same value (it helped people not to mistrust). This banknote has no digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 12.3 cm x 7 cm. 

10 pesos (diez pesos)

This banknotes worth 10 pesos was first circulated May the 15th of 1896. On the main side center you can see an ox cart and workers picking up tobacco leaves for the Cuban cigars.  The inner part has grey colour. It has eight 10's, one in each corner and four in the middle. In this times, 1 peso was equivalent to 5 Spanish pesetas. The banknote is decorated is geometric elements.
On the other side you can see in the middle a circle with Borbon kings coat of arms of Castile and Leon, with the name of the National Bank in Spanish (Banco español de la isla de Cuba). It has an stamp that says "plata" (silver, and has crowns too) that means that this banknote was exchanged for a silver coin of the same value (it helped people not to mistrust). It has six 10's and decorative elements too. This banknote has no digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 14.6 cm x 9.3 cm.

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Bavaria (1875-1921)

This serie of banknotes (called Bayerische Banknote) belongs to the period in Bavaria and German history in which in Bavaria, Louis II reigned first, who was dismissed in 1886 because of the bad relationship with the Bavarian government, and later his brother Otto I, with a long history of mental illness and under the tutelage of his uncle Prince Leopold until 1912, a period in that the Bavarian relations were very cold for the search for power in the German Empire and ended with Georg von Hertling, as the first president of the government with a majority in the Bavarian Regional Parliament. After the death of Prince Leopold, his son deposed Otto I and was crowned as Louis III, standing out as a conservative reign. During the First World War, in 1917, von Hertling went to the German Chancellery and occupied his post Otto Ritter von Dandl. Unpopular in the course of the war broke out the German Revolution of 1918, proclaiming the ephemeral Soviet Republic of Bavaria. The Wittelsbach family left the power and Bavaria adopted a republican regime, integrating itself in the Republic of Weimar, conserving the Palatinate occupied from 1918 to 1930 by the French and acquired Coburg in 1920. There are banknotes of 100 mark.

100 mark (hundert Mark)

This banknote worth 100 mark was first circulated in January the 1st 1900. On the main side right it can be seen Ceres (Roman godness of agriculture) and a boy, with farming implements and a wad of straw and in the left, the allegoric representation of the Bank and Mercury (Roman messenger and trade god), with industrial tools, coin bags and a cornucopia. The letter are written on a Gothic style and in the center appears the written value of the banknote and the name of the Regional Bank in German  (Bayerische Notenbank) over a 100 and with two 100's in the upper part.
In the lower part it appear Bavarian Kingdom coat of arms and decorative elements. The other side of the banknote has the written value of the banknote, six 100's (four of them on the corners), the name of the serie and a text saying that counterfeiting banknotes is punished with German law, all of that surrounded with floristic and decorative elements. This banknote has the name of the Regional Bank and a 100 as digital watermark. The size of this banknote is 16.1 cm x 10.3 cm.

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