URALS Francs
by M. Istomin
The URALS francs are the notes printed in Ekaterinburg (formerly Sverdlovsk) for possible circulation in the Sverdlovsk province in the same framework like Nyzhny Novgorod locals but never issued. A referendum was held in 1993 on the creation of the Urals Republic in the Sverdlovsk province with 84% of the people "FOR" with the main idea being to gain more independence from the federal state and have their own local money.
On October 27, 1993 the new republic was proclaimed but on Nov. 10, 1993 President Yeltsin sacked the governor Eduard Rossel and the idea was dead. (See Argumenty & Fakti, N 22 (971), June 1999). Instead the notes were used later stamped at the metallurgy plant at Serov (Sverdlovsk province) for local use. Actually the following notes are known: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 & 1000 francs. The notes of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 francs were used at the plant at Serov and irrespective of the nominal value they had the real value of 7 Rubles BEFORE AUGUST 1998. There are different types of ink stamps of the metallurgy plant.
Unfortunately, the notes are not listed in any catalogue. It should be noted that the name of the city is Ekaterinburg but the name of the province is Sverdlovskaya oblast'. There are two signatures on the notes - chairman of the board and treasurer and it is not known to whom they belong.
Famous personalities of the Urals region are depicted in the middle of the notes:
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1 franc - Ibak, local mythological person | |
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5 francs - Nikita Demidov (Nikita Demidovich Antufiev 1656-1725, organizer of Russian metal factories in the Urals | |
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10 francs - A.B. Anossov | |
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20 francs - Dmitry N. Mamin-Sibiryak (1852-1912), Russian writer | |
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50 francs - Mikhail V. Nesterov (1962-1942), Russian artist | |
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100 francs - Dmitry I. Mendeleev, famous chemist, creator of the Table of Elements | |
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500 francs - Serguei P. Dyaguilev(1872-1929), theatre director | |
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1000 francs - Piotr I. Chaikovsky, Russian composer |
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