2018-05-30 Wed

A new vertically designed 100-ruble commemorative FIFA banknote celebrating the 2018 World Cup was revealed on 22nd May by the Central Bank of Russia. It is Russia’s first polymer note and features late great Russian Goalkeeper Lev Yashin, also known as Black Spider or Black Panther, diving for a save on the obverse. He was known for his agility and wore an all-black playing kit.

He played for the Soviet Union at the 1956 Olympics and won the gold medal. He played his first football World cup in 1958. The obverse also depicts the Russian eagle, the text “Note of the Bank of Russia” in Russian, the numeral 100 in colour-changing ink, a small hologram featuring a player kicking a soccer ball. A boy is shown holding a metallic emerald coloured soccer ball and looking up at Yashin. A QR code is placed near the boy as a security measure. The denomination is depicted in colour-changing Arabic numerals and the Cyrillic ??? “One Hundred Rubles” in Russian.

The reverse depicts a soccer-ball-cum-globe, with Russia taking pride of place. Swooshes with names of the 11 host cities of this year’s World Cup are shown. Three rows of cheering fans in three colours of the Russian flag and a hologram are also featured. The denomination 100 is seen in large Arabic numeral and Cyrillic ??? “One Hundred Rubles” in Russian. The note’s serial number is printed horizontally and vertically as well. The official emblem of the World Cup can be seen under ultraviolet light.

Rendered in blue, green, yellow and melon orange shades, the note also comes with tactile features. 20 million notes will be released for circulation.

Image Courtesy: Google images