Currency of Estonia 5 krooni banknote 1994
Bank of Estonia - Eesti Pank
Obverse: The front side of the 5-kroon banknote features PAUL KERES (1916–1975) – an International Grand Master chess player and a prominent chess theorist. Keres won the Estonian chess championship for the first time in 1935 and international championships in Bad Nauheim in 1936. He participated in more than 70 international tournaments. Keres was one of the main claimants to the title of World Champion during 1930-1960. To the right of Paul Keres’ portrait, there are chessboard squares with a pawn equipped with a sword and shield, and a knight on a horse. Signatures: Governor Siim Kallas and Member of the Board Raimund Hagelberg.
Reverse: The back side of the banknote features a view of the Narva River with Narva Hermann Castle on its left bank and Ivangorod Fortress on the right, constituting a historical and architectural ensemble on the European Union border. Narva Castle was established by the Danes in the 13th century and Ivangorod Fortress was erected by the Russians at the end of the 15th century. Both strongholds were severely damaged during World War II. Restoration of the buildings started in 1955 and the work is still ongoing. The strongholds are also open to the public.
Watermark depicting three lions; it can be seen when the banknote is held against the light. The watermark is divided into two parts on the edges of the banknote: one displays the head, forelegs and body of the lions, and the other, their hind legs.
Light vertical transparent security thread with a dark micro-printed repeating text “EESTI PANK”. The security thread is embedded in the paper and can be seen when the banknote is held against the light.
Left-hand side, at the top: a rosette surrounded by a band of micro-printed repeating text “EESTI PANK”.
Latent denomination “5” in the middle of the rosette, visible when the banknote is held against the light at an angle.
UV fluorescent numerals “555” to the right of the portrait.
To the left of the portrait, silver ink has been used in the background which fluoresces green under UV light.
Area on the back side that fluoresces green under UV light.
Two letters of the Latin alphabet followed by a 6-digit serial number. Black horizontal number appears on the left-hand side at the bottom and brown vertical number on the right-hand side. The latter is of the main colour of the banknote and every following number is bigger than the preceding one.
A multi-coloured image of a cornflower in the lower-right corner of the front side which includes coloured and uncoloured areas.
The same image with similar coloured and uncoloured areas is displayed on the back side; the location of the fragment coincides with that on the front side.
The coloured and uncoloured areas on the front and back sides overlap fully when the banknote is held against the light and a full image of a cornflower is displayed.
In 1994, an additional series of 5-kroon banknotes was printed by the British printing house Thomas De La Rue and Company Ltd. The new notes were put into circulation in 1997. The design, colours and basic security features of the new series are the same as on the 1991 and 1992 notes, only some security elements were updated and some more advanced ones added. The area to the left of the portrait has been printed in UV fluorescent silver. In the vertical serial number, each following number from the top down is bigger than the previous one. Instead of the multi-coloured guilloche in the lowerright corner, there is a stylised image of a cornflower. On both the front and back sides, the image of the cornflower has coloured and uncoloured areas. When the note is held up to the light, the coloured and uncoloured areas on the front and back sides overlap and form a full image of a cornflower
Estonian kroon banknotes
Bank of Estonia - Eesti Pank