Information about currency: Rublis (First Rublis, 1919 - 1922)

The Latvian rublis (Latvian: Latvijas rublis) was the currency of Latvia from 1919 to 1922 and again from 1992 to 1993.

After the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia in 1918, a large variety of different currencies were in circulation - ostrubles, ostmarks, German Papiermark, the so-called Tsar rubles, kopecks, the so-called Money of Duma and kerenkas, as well as promissory notes of several town municipalities.

On 4 February 1919, the Latvian Provisional Government authorized the Minister of Finance to issue the first currency notes of the Republic of Latvia - Treasury notes. They were denominated in rublis (plural: rubļi or rubłı) and kapeikas (plural: kapeiku), with 1 rublis = 100 kapeiku. On 27 March 1919 the exchange rate of 1 Latvian rublis was fixed to 1 ostmark, 2 German papiermark or 1½ Russian rubles respectively. In the period from April 1919 to September 1922, currency notes were issued in denominations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 kapeiku and 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 rubłı. No coins were issued.

The first state currency notes were printed in 1919 by Andrievs Niedra's government, which was considered pro-German and illegal, and was overthrown in the same year. The legal government of Kārlis Ulmanis printed quite similar notes but with different signatures on them. This government recognized the previously printed banknotes as a legal payment means. The designer of these banknotes was Jūlijs Madernieks.

On 3 August 1922, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the "Regulations on Money" which introduced the lats as Latvia's national currency. The lats was equal to 50 rubļi. The rublis remained in circulation alongside the lats for a time.