I recently purchased a group of 15 pieces of the Russian Imperial 5-1/2% obligations or Internal Loan dated 1916 with a value of 1000 Roubles, which was quite a sum of money back then. The interesting part is that they were issued by the Bank of Commerce and Trust Company located in Memphis, Tenn., and were still in the original bank packet or folder. These obligations were to mature in 1926 while the coupons would still be redeemable until 1936. Notice only one coupon was clipped and possibly redeemed from all 15 obligations.

Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate and the lengthy rule of the Romanov family ended in March 1917. This was mainly due to years of injustice and the mounting financial pressures of World War I. A provisional government known as the White Russians replaced the Czar. Increasing heavy losses at the front and the fear of a German military advance on Moscow had almost eliminated any support for the war and heavily taxed the provisional government's authority.









As the Red Russians started to take over control, the Germans secretly transported Vladimir Lenin from exile in Switzerland into Russia in a sealed train. Lenin was to lead the Bolshevik uprising. The following spring, the new Communist regime signed a treaty with Germany ending Russia's involvement in World War I. On July 17, 1918, the Czar along with his wife, children and servants were executed near Ekaterinburg.