Collectible Azerbaijani banknotes can be found from as early as 1918. Notes were issued in rubles for the towns of Baku and Batum, and then the larger Soviet Azerbaijan Republic had notes printed for it in 1920. After 1923, the next Azerbaijan paper money was minted in 1992 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Bills from all of these eras of Azerbaijan history can be affordable, depending on the condition, by most collectors.
If you have (or would like) any banknotes from nearby Georgia or Armenia in your collection, you will find much to love about Azerbaijan’s many banknotes. This is especially true if you are drawn to paper money that uses different scripts.
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Batum and Baku Banknotes 1918-1919
Of interest to many buyers of Azerbaijan rare banknotes are early issues from the cities of Baku (the capital) and Batum. These notes are (if you’ll forgive the pun) notable in that the only script on them is Cyrillic; also, they are well-designed and attractive. Plus, the Batum notes are vertically oriented.
Baku Paper Money from 1918
There were three notes issued in 1918 for Azerbaijan’s Baku by its administrators, the Soviet Union:
- 10 rubles
- 25 rubles
- 50 rubles
All of these notes were horizontal and featured designs on both the obverse and reverse of the notes. While not seen for sale as often as newer notes, lucky collectors might find all three for less than $50 each, a few hundred dollars if in top condition. Look for the Cyrillic legend СОВЂТЪ БАКИНСКАГО ГОРОДСКОГО ХОЗЯЙСТВА on these banknotes.
Browse 197 current Azerbaijan banknotes for sale offers here
Batum Paper Money from 1919
More interesting, perhaps, are the one-sided (mostly) and vertical exchange currency token notes issued for Batum. They were made by the occupying British, making them a rare and unusual collectible now from a curious little corner of European history.
Batum notes, which sport only Cyrillic writing and no English (look for БАТУМСКАГО КАЗНАЧЕИСТВА), came in six different denominations:
- 1 ruble
- 3 rubles
- 5 rubles
- 10 rubles
- 25 rubles
- 50 rubles
On the back were either signatures (more common), or the year stamped into the paper with big dots (more scarce).
Azerbaijan Autonomous Republic Soviet Paper Money 1920-1922
As part of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan had several banknotes issued for use in the years 1920 to 1923. These featured not only Cyrillic (and can be identified by the lengthy phrase АЗЕРБАИДЖАНСКАЯ СОЦИАЛИСТИЧЕСКАЯ СОБЕТСКАЯ РЕСПУБЛИКА, depicted in various exciting, artistic ways) but also Persian. So, you may see آذربایجان سوسیالیست شورﺎ جومهوریتی on banknotes from this era as well.
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The Two Banknote Issues from Azerbaijan SSR
In all, there were two issues of paper bills for Azerbaijan at this time. The first only saw two notes, valued at 5 and 100 rubles. The second issue reflects the rampant inflation of the era – unfortunate for the time, but good news for collectors now who want one of each of a series. Here are the denominations to look for from that second issue:
- 1,000 rubles
- 5,000 rubles
- 10,000 rubles
- 25,000 rubles
- 50,000 rubles
- 100,000 rubles
- 250,000 rubles
- 1,000,000 rubles
- 5,000,000 rubles
None of these is especially rarer than the others, and all can be affordable for collectors who watch online sales listings closely. Note that there are some extremely rare variations in color, and proof notes, that will sell for higher premiums.
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Modern Azerbaijan Banknotes 1993 – Now
Newly independent, Azerbaijan began issuing paper money in 1993. These new notes used the manat (plural also manat, but watch for the word “manats” which might be mistakenly used by some sellers) unit of currency. Banknotes use the Azerbaijani language (now written in a modified Latin alphabet, the Persian script having been discontinued back in 1929). Look for the prominent phrase Azərbaycan Milli Bankı on notes before 2009; from that point on the National Bank changed its name, and consequently the inscription on banknotes, to Azərbaycan Mərkəzi Bankı.
The designs on modern Azerbaijani banknotes tend to be bold and simple, but elegant. Lovely, complex borders frame images which tend to feature one bold focal point – a bust of someone, an important building, a map of the nation, et cetera. The denomination is often both written in Latin numbers and spelled out in Azerbaijani. There is a bright and colorful range of hues used in the inks as well, though the general focus seems to be on subtle and understated combinations, with more white space.
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The exclave Nagorno-Karabakh area issues its own banknotes distinct from those of Azerbaijan proper; check that section for more. Additionally, look for nearby Iranian Azerbaijan banknotes from 1946.
All in all, Azerbaijan banknotes offer a lot of variety for buyers. Their history is not complicated, but has yielded several ways to approach collecting them. Whether or not you are the type of person who wants one of everything or one from each era or issuer, or who is working on a continuing complete series of modern issues, you can have enormous amounts of fun acquiring and simply admiring Azerbaijani paper money.
