100 Latu 1923, Latvia
| in Krause book | Number: 14b |
| Years of issue: | 29.06.1928 - 25.03.1941 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Padomes priekšsēdētājs: Jūlijs Augusts Celms, Galvenais Direktors: Kārlis Vanags |
| Serie: | Latvijas Bankas |
| Specimen of: | 1923 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 152 х 86 |
| Printer: | Līgatnes papīrfabrika, Ligatne |
* 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:
Black and white, diagonal waves. The width of two waves is 20 mm.
Avers:
Throughout the field of banknotes is a patterned background.
It includes: leafy patterns (top and bottom), ribbons with Latvian folk patterns (right and left, near the denominations).
Above of the year of issue is the Latvian embroidery patterns - Austras Koks.
Austra Tree or the Tree of the Sun is a generalized model of human knowledge and understanding.
Specialist in ornaments Daina Krauke explains: "For this purpose, a symbol expressed understanding of the human world: wooden roots symbolize the underworld, the trunk - the middle world - the middle of where we are with the animals and plants, and the foliage symbolizes the upper world - the world of the sky, to which all aspire. In this tree are combined understandings of the past, present and future, about our ancestors, about ourselves, about our children. The tree is the communication with the spiritual, not just communication, but also a manifestation of spirituality".
The symbol of the world tree is also associated with the solar road, it is the personification of the sunrise and sunset.
In its simplest form, a sign reminds a new twig begins to grow, but in the most luxurious of derivative sign is as rich as its explanation. Often Tree Austria enriched with the Sun, Moon or elements Ausekla sign, the sign of Mara.
Especially luxury usually made a central part of the sign, that is, our life.
Solar tree as an ornament is used in women's clothing - woolen fabrics in shirts, in wreaths. Maybe this is an indication that it is women who have to be the creator of beauty and the custodian of values. (astro-stream.narod.ru latv.)
Inscription, centered: "Pret so naudas zīme latvijas banka izsniedz 29,03226 gramus zelta. Naudas zīmes nodrošinātas to pilnā nominālvērtībā".
In English: "Against this banknote, the Bank of Latvia issues 29,03226 grams of gold. Banknotes can be exchanged at their full face value."
Revers:
Along the perimeter of the banknote, the frame shows fruits and vegetables, symbolizing fertility and ribbons with Latvian national patterns.
Two girls in folk clothes. Behind them is an ancient Latvian oak tree, which was earlier and will later be shown on various banknotes of Latvia.
The girl on the left symbolizes industry (holding a gear and a hammer in her hand). At her feet is a bandaged box that symbolizes maritime trade (an anchor is partially visible near it).
The image of a girl, as an industry, is emphasized by the smoking pipes of the plant, in the background.
The girl on the right symbolizes agriculture - she holds in her hand a bundle of wheat, at her feet - a basket of fruits and vegetables.
Her image, like agriculture, emphasizes the Latvian farm (visible roofs), in the background.
The image of the golden rising sun with 11 wide wavy rays, between which there were 10 narrow wavy rays, was also placed in the azure upper half of the shield of the State Emblem of the Republic of Latvia, approved on June 16, 1921 by the Constitutional (Constituent) Assembly of Latvia, the draft of which was created by the returnee from Petrograd by the graphic artist Rihards Germanovich Zariņš, together with Vilis Krūmiņš, (the artist himself signed "Zarrinsh" in Russian, Rihards Zariņš, 1869-1939), who until 1917 held the position of technical and artistic director of the Expedition of Preparing State Papers (EZGB ) Of the Russian Empire and the Provisional Government (according to his projects, banknotes and postage stamps of the All-Russian Provisional Government were issued in 1905-1917).
The lower half of the shield of the Latvian coat of arms was cut, in the right silver field was depicted a wormy rebellious lion from the historical coat of arms of Courland and Semigale, symbolizing Kurzeme and Zemgale, and a silver griffin from the historical coat of arms of Livonia, symbolizing Vidzeme and Latgale.
Above the shield, three golden five-pointed stars were depicted in an arc of a circle, touching each other with two rays, symbolizing the unity of the three historical parts of Latvia - Kurzeme and Zemgale, Vidzeme and Latgale. (www.heraldicum.ru .ru)
The inscription under the coat of arms: "Par latvijas bankas naudas Zimju viltosanu, vai viltotu zimju uzglabasanu un izplatisanu vainigos sodis saskana ar sodu likumiem".
In English: "Penalty for counterfating of Latvian money, or for the storage and distribution of counterfeit goods, is due in accordance with laws".
Comments:
The banknote, according to R. Zariņš's design engraved by Kārlis Krauze, were printed on paper, produced at the Līgatne paper mill, at the State Paper Printing House.
The manager of the state paper printing house and also the author of the 100 Latu banknote prof. R. Zariņš believed, that they are completely safe against counterfeiting, because they are a real masterpiece of the printing house - exemplary copper carving, complicated rosettes, background, etc. However, they lacked variegated security printing (iridescence method) and the marks were printed in only two colors, blue and black, which facilitated counterfeiting. Mr Zariņš soon had to announce counterfeit 100 Lats banknotes in the Government Gazette. Aleksandrs Platbārzdis quotes in this connection a letter from the former Consul General of Latvia in Oslo A. Vanags: "Mr. Zariņš was especially proud of his 100 Lats banknotes, about which he said that no one could counterfeit them. I announced this to Norges Bank, from which Mr. Zariņš received a counterfeit a couple of weeks later, which I sent together with the original 100 lats mark with a request to state which is the counterfeit, which is the real one. It had made Mr. Zariņš nausea, because I never got an answer." (lvportals.lv .lat)
Designer: Rihards Zariņš.
Rihards Zariņš (also Richards Zarriņš or Richard Sarrinsch in German speaking countries; Kocēni, June 27, 1869 - Riga, April 21, 1939) was a prominent Latvian graphic artist.
He was born in Kocēni and grew up in Līgatne and later in Grīva. He pursued his studies in St. Petersburg, where he graduated in 1895 from the Stieglitz Central School for Technical Drawing. He then went on to further studies in Berlin, Munich, Vienna, where he studied lithography, and Paris, where he honed his skills in watercolour and pastels.
He returned to Russia where he was employed by the Russian Imperial Printing Office in St. Petersburg for 20 years, acting as technical director. From 1905 he was in charge of designing state papers. In 1919, he returned to newly independent Latvia where he was appointed director of the government printing house. He held that position for over 14 years and retired at the beginning of 1934. After a stroke, he lost his ability to speak; however, he continued to draw until the last day of his life.
Zariņš was one of the best-known Latvian graphic artists. His first works appeared in the early 1890s on the pages of the then-popular Latvian-language magazine, "Austrums" (The East), when he was still a student at the Stieglitz art school. He dedicated a great amount of time in the study of folk ornamentation, and under his leadership, the state publishers produced a monumental work on Latvian decorative arts.
During his career, the artist designed many stamps of the Russian Empire, Soviet Russia, Belarusian People’s Republic, and Latvia. He is an author of the very first Soviet stamps issued in 1918.
Zariņš was a prolific artist who produced many book illustrations, engravings and lithographs. His oeuvre also contains drawings, water-colour painting, and caricatures. Among his works of applied art are the design of the Latvian coat of arms as well as several designs for bank notes issued by the Printing Office, and several coins of the Latvian lats. 
I became interested in the question - "Why is the State Treasury (Latvijas valsts kases zime) designated by the issuer on the 10 Lat banknotes, and the Bank of Latvia (Latvijas Bankas) is the issuer on other banknotes?"
I had to start translating the article - in the article the answer to the above question !, in Latvian, I apologize for possible translation errors.
In addition, I, unexpectedly, went to the digitized archive of Latvian periodicals, where I found an article from the Russian-language newspaper Vechernee Vremya, dated November 24, 1924, just on the topic.
Please, read here.
If you find my work useful I will be grateful for any help in supporting the site.
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