BOOK REVIEW: RUSSIAN-RELATED CURRENCY NOTES IN CHINA

This month’s column is devoted to a discussion of two newly released books, one on Russian notes and the other on U.S. large-size currency.

The first volume I wish to bring to your attention is the seventh and last in a series of similar catalogs by a great Russian numismatic researcher and cataloger, Mischa Istomin. His amazing volumes cover a multitude of note issues from the momentous Russian Revolution of the 1917-1924 period. These books have opened up the field to collectors everywhere who speak English, as they are all bilingual. Their coverage is as follows:

• Volume I - Northern and Northwestern Regions of Russia, Baltic States, Central Region and Byelorussia;
• Volume II - Part 1 Ukraine, and Part 2 Western Ukraine;
• Volume III - Southeastern Region with Crimea, and North Caucasus;
• Volume IV - Transcaucasia;
• Volume V - Turkestan Provinces, Bukhara and Khiva;
• Volume VI - Volga and Ural Provinces, Siberia (Part 1) and Far East (Part 2).

This last Volume VII covers Russian- Related Currency Notes in China including general, specialized and private issues. Interest in Chinese notes of all sorts has mushroomed to unprecedented heights in recent years, and this catalog will only serve to increase such interest as it provides explanations for many pieces already in the spotlight. Some of these notes have appeared in recent auctions and are bringing record prices.

One major component of all of Istomin’s catalogs is that they provide detailed coverage of all the historical facts behind the evolution of the issues presented. Volume VII is no exception; the introductory sections go up to p. 49. There follows a parade of major bank rarities that make one’s head spin.

I do not know how the author could have located all these pieces, many of which I had never seen before. Their inclusion is more than enough reason to obtain this book.

Another major accomplishment of this book is the compilation of information and illustrations of so many hitherto obscure local issues. In previous volumes Istomin has avoided getting into details about these kinds of issues, but here he has gone after them as a major section of his research. Many of them have no value guides, so you do not know what the Russian collectors’ opinions of collectibility and value are. But one thing you can gain from such listings is sure—that they are exceedingly difficult to obtain at any price.

Anyone wishing to add this volume to his library should contact the author by e-mail at istomin1956@rambler.ru direct.

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