banknote, banknotes-Russia 1 kopek 1979 UNC note, Arktikugol in Spitzbergen Island (Svalbard), uncirculated

1 kopek, 1979, uncirculated. Norske pengesedler #AR73; Numista #222684.

Rare.

Soviet Arktikugol money from Spitzbergen (Svalbard) refers to small-denomination trade vouchers (1, 2, 3 and 5 kopeks) issued by the Soviet state coal trust Arktikugol for use in company stores at its mining settlements on the Norwegian archipelago. These notes (often undated, from series such as 1979) were denominated in kopeks of the Soviet ruble and printed on paper for internal use by Soviet workers at Barentsburg and other sites, rather than general circulation. The issues are now collectible curiosities reflecting the unique economic history of Soviet presence on Svalbard under the 1935 Svalbard Treaty.

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