20 Korun 1942, Slovakia
| in Krause book | Number: 7a |
| Years of issue: | 25.09.1943 - 31.10.1945 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Minister Financii: Dr. Mikuláš Pružinský |
| Serie: | Banking Act No. 44 of April 4, 1939 |
| Specimen of: | 11.09.1942 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 139 x 67 |
| Printer: | Neografia, Turčianský Svätý Martin, Priekopa (Martin), Slovakia |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Leafs of linden and two Slovak crosses (repeated 4 times).
Avers:
On banknote is Ján Hollý. The engraving based on lithography, taken from the issue by Jan Vilímek "Humoristické listy", in Prague, at 20 March 1885. It is made in antique style, in tribute to the merits of the poet, who translated works of antiquity in the Slovak language.
Ján Hollý (24 March 1785 - 14 April 1849) was a Slovak poet and translator. He was the first greater Slovak poet to write exclusively in the newly standardized literary Slovak language. His predecessors mostly wrote in various regional versions of Czech, Slovakized Czech or Latin. Hollý translated Virgil's "Aeneid" and wrote his own epic poetry in Alexandrine verse to show, that the Slovak language recently standardized by Anton Bernolák was capable of expressing complex poetic forms.
Hollý studied in Skalica, Bratislava and Trnava. He was a Catholic priest at Madunice near Piešťany, where he wrote all his major works sitting below a big tree. He was an active member of the Slovak national revival movement. He used the topic of Great-Moravian ruler Svätopluk to encourage the nation, and is regarded as the founding father of Slovak poetry. 
Under the portrait are the branches of linden and Holly's pen feather.
On background is the Black eagle (The Tatra eagle) - unofficial symbol of Slovak Republic.
On left side is the coat of arms of Slovakia.
The coat of arms of Slovakia consists of a red (gules) shield, in early Gothic style, charged with a silver (argent) double cross standing on the middle peak of a dark blue mountain consisting of three peaks. Extremities of the cross are amplified, and its ends are concaved. The double cross is a symbol of its Christian faith and the hills represent three symbolic mountain ranges: Tatra, Fatra and Mátra (the last one is in northern Hungary).
One of the modern interpretations of the double cross is that it represents Slovakia as an heir and guardian of Christian tradition, brought to the region by St. Cyril and St. Methodius, two missionaries from the Byzantine Empire.
Denominations are across all field of banknote.
Revers:
Across the field notes Slovak traditional patterns.
To the right of the center is the picture, showing a traditional Slovak table (products), covered with a tablecloth with Slovak pattern:
apple and pear, bread, knife, salt and pepper, cup and jug of wine.
Ears of wheat symbolize fertility of Slovak earth.
denominations in numerals are on left side, in lower right corner and repeatedly across all field of banknote. In words centered.
I received an answer from Chief Archivist of Archives Section in National Bank of Slovakia, Mr. František Chudják - and I am very grateful to him for the answer, regarding languages on reverse of this banknote.
That is what he wrote to me:
"..referring to your request of 11 August 2015 regarding an inscription on 500 Korun 1944 banknote, we would like to inform you that all paper money, which were issued in the period of the war Slovak republic in 1939-1945, were marked on reverse in four languages – in Slovak, German, Hungarian and Russian. The Government of the Slovak republic resolved at a meeting held on 1 June 1939 that the entire issue of banknotes should be marked on reverse in four languages. The Russian language was used because there lived about 60 000 Ruthenians (Rusyns) and Ukrainians in the territory of the Slovak republic in 1939–1945. Sincerely yours, František Chudják".
And here is the small extract from Wikipedia, regarding Reform of Russian orthography in 1918 (On banknote is Russian spelling, used before 1918):
"Despite the fact, that the reform was designed long before the revolution without any political goals of professional linguists (in fact, among its development was a member of the far-right Union of the Russian people, Academician Alexei Ivanovich Sobolewski, who proposed, in particular, to eliminate ять and the ends -ыя/-ія), the first steps towards its practical implementation occurred after the revolution, but actually adopted and implemented it was the Bolsheviks. This determined sharply critical attitude to it by the political opponents of Bolshevism (this ratio aphoristic expressed by Bunin: "By order of the Archangel Michael will never accept the Bolshevik spelling. Already at least one that had a human hand did not write anything like that that is now written on the spelling"). It is not used in most editions, is printed on the white-controlled areas, and then in exile. Russian editions abroad for the most part moved to the new spelling only in the 1940s - 1950s, in connection with the second wave of emigration from the USSR; although some of them publishing so far in old spelling."
Comments:
Designer: Jozef Vlček.
The signature on banknote made by:
JUDr. Mikuláš Pružinský (December 23, 1886 - March 31, 1953) - minister of finance of First Slovak Republic.
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