Lietuvos Banknotai. Lithuanian Banknotes (Juozas Galkus)

LIETUVOS
BANKNOTAI
LITHUANIAN
BANKNOTES
The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 1

LEIDINYS SKIRIAMAS
LIETUVOS BANKO IR LITO
80 METØ JUBILIEJUI
DEDICATED TO THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY

OF THE BANK OF LITHUANIA
AND THE LITAS
2 Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla

LIETUVOS
BANKNOTAI
LITHUANIAN
BANKNOTES
L I E T U V O S B A N K A S 2 0 0 2

UDK 336.74(474.5)(084)
Li-227
Sudarytojas / Compiled by
Juozas Galkus
Teksto autoriai / Text by
Arûnas Dulkys, Juozas Galkus
Redakcijos kolegija / Editorial board
Vytautas Aleksiejûnas, Nijolë Baltrûnienë, Arûnas Dulkys
Dailininkas / Designed by
Bronius Leonavièius
Konsultantas / Consultant
Arûnas Dulkys
Lietuvos bankas dëkoja Lietuviø literatûros ir tautosakos institutui, Lietuvos dailës muziejui,
Lietuvos nacionaliniam muziejui, M. K. Èiurlionio dailës muziejui,
taip pat Daliai Grimalauskaitei, Giedriui Jonaièiui, Alvydui Mandeikai,
Raimondui Miknevièiui, Rûtai ir Kazimierui Paðkauskams, Liudvikui Pociui,
Viliui Puronui, Ryèiui Valantinui ir kt.
uþ pagalbà rengiant leidiná
The Bank of Lithuania would like to express its gratitude to the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore,
Lithuanian Art Museum, National Museum of Lithuania, M. K. Èiurlionis Art Museum,
as well as Dalia Grimalauskaitë, Giedrius Jonaitis, Alvydas Mandeika,
Raimondas Miknevièius, Rûta and Kazimieras Paðkauskas, Liudvikas Pocius,
Vilius Puronas, Rytis Valantinas and others
for their assistance in preparing the publication
ISBN 9986-651-31-X © Lietuvos bankas, 2002

Gerbiamieji, Dear Reader,
Jûs laikote savo rankose unikalø leidiná. You are holding in your hands a unique publication
Tai pirmoji tokia knyga apie Lietuvos banknotus. the first book of this kind about Lithuanian banknotes.
Kiekvienos valstybës nepriklausomumo simbolis yra jos pinigai. Money is a symbol of any independent state. The Grand Duchy
Jau XVXVII a. Lietuvos Didþioji Kunigaikðtystë turëjo iðplëtotà pinigø ir of Lithuania had a well-developed monetary and financial system as early as in
finansø ûká, lietuviðki pinigai buvo kalami Vilniuje, Kaune. the 15th17th centuries; Lithuanian money was minted in Vilnius and Kaunas.
Lietuvos istorijai buvo labai svarbûs 1922 metai. The year 1922 was of supreme importance in the history of Lithuania: the
Steigiamasis Seimas nutarë ávesti savus pinigus litus. Lietuviðkas litas ágijo Constituent Seimas (Parliament) passed a decision on the introduction of the
pasitikëjimà, tapo viena ið tvirèiausiø valiutø pasaulyje. national currency, the litas, witch gained credibility and became one of the
Lietuvai atkûrus Nepriklausomybæ, 1990 m. ásteigtas Lietuvos bankas. Savi strongest currencies in the world. After the independence of Lithuania
laikinieji pinigai talonai apyvartoje pasirodë 1992 m. pabaigoje, o 1993 m. was re-established, the Bank of Lithuania was restored in 1990. First,
birþelio 25 d. á apyvartà gráþo visiems brangus litas. Buvo pradëtos taikyti the national provisional currency, the talonas, appeared at the end of 1992,
pirmosios pinigø politikos priemonës, aktyviai palaikomas stabilus lito and on June 25, 1993 the cherished litas was issued again. The appearance and
kursas. Toks jis ir iðliko per tuos metus. Kito litø banknotø iðvaizda ir quality of litas banknotes changed over time: they have been periodically
kokybë jie periodiðkai atnaujinami, pradëta spausdinti dideliø nominalø renewed, large denomination banknotes have been printed. Today, owing to
banknotus. Mûsø ðalies dailininkø ir Lietuvos banko darbuotojø pastangø the efforts of Lithuanian designers and Bank of Lithuania staff, we have
dëka mes turime lietuviðkus banknotus, atitinkanèius Lithuanian banknotes that meet all requirements of the day.
ðiuolaikinius piniginiø þenklø reikalavimus. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the authors
Dëkoju knygos autoriams ir visiems, padëjusiems jà iðleisti. of the book and all those who have contributed to its publication.
Reinoldijus Ðarkinas
Lietuvos banko valdybos pirmininkas
Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania
Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 7

Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla
The Lithuanian School of Currency Design
Banknotas vos gramas popieriaus ir daþø, taèiau ði knyga gal- A banknote is just a gram of paper and inks, but this book will
bût padës á já paþvelgti su tam tikru dvasingumu ir filosofija. perhaps help us take a glance at it with some inspiration and phi-
Demokratijos viesulas, praûþæs per Vidurio ir Rytø Europà pra- losophy.
ëjusio amþiaus devintàjá deðimtmetá, suformavo naujas nepriklauso- The whirlwind of democracy that swept through Central and
mas valstybes. Norëdamos átvirtinti suverenitetà, pirmiausia jos tu- Eastern Europe in the eighties of the previous century formed new
rëjo ávesti savo nacionalines valiutas. Nors ir neturëdama patirties, independent states. The young state of Lithuania, whose indepen-
jauna Lietuvos valstybë, 1990 m. kovo 11 d. atkûrusi Nepriklauso- dence was re-established on March 11, 1990, began considering the
mybæ, pradëjo svarstyti nacionalinës pinigø sistemos atkûrimo klau- issues of the restoration of the national monetary system, although
simà. Savos banknotø spaustuvës steigimo idëja buvo atmesta dël it did not have any experience. The transition to a free-market
nedidelio Lietuvos gyventojø skaièiaus, be to, finansinë ir politinë economy had to be completed in the possibly shortest time. Only
situacija ðiame Europos regione taip pat buvo nedëkinga. Perëjimas creation of the national monetary system and introduction of the
á laisvosios rinkos ekonomikà turëjo ávykti per kaip galima trum- national currency could accelerate the process. The re-birth of the
piausià laikà. Tai pagreitinti galëjo tik nacionaliniø pinigø sistemos national currency was an ideal way not only for Lithuania but also
sukûrimas ir valiutos iðleidimas. for other Central and East European states to express a renewed
Taigi jaunos valstybës nacionalinës valiutos spausdinimas buvo interpretation of their national identity. Currency also played a sig-
patikëtas uþsienio spaustuvëms. Ne tik Lietuvoje, bet ir kitose Vi- nificant symbolic role of asserting the sovereignty of a young state
durio ir Rytø Europos valstybëse nacionaliniø valiutø atgimimas ta- by issuing its national currency.
po puikia priemone atnaujintai nacionalinio tapatumo interpretaci- Before starting to deal with present-day litas banknotes, we should
jai iðreikðti. Pinigai atliko ir reikðmingà simboliná vaidmená juos make a short digression to the interwar period, when, on October 2,
iðleidþianti valstybë, ávesdama nacionalinæ valiutà, tarsi átvirtina sa- 1922, litas banknotes were first issued into circulation. One hun-
vo suverenitetà. dredth of the litas was named the centas. In order to speed up the
Prieð kalbëdami apie ðiuolaikinius litø banknotus, trumpam su- introduction of the national currency, not only litas but also centas
gráþkime á tarpukario laikotarpá, kai 1922 m. spalio 2 d. pirmà kartà were printed as paper money. Banknotes of small size and nice de-
á apyvartà buvo iðleisti litø banknotai. Viena ðimtoji lito buvo pava- sign, while not secure enough, were printed by O. Elsner Printing
dinta centu. Skubant kuo greièiau ávesti nacionalinæ valiutà, ne tik House in Berlin. Later on, more secure banknotes were produced
litai, bet ir centai buvo atspausdinti kaip popieriniai banknotai. Maþo by A. Hase Printing House in Prague. In 19251926, when more
formato, nelabai saugûs, taèiau pakankamai graþaus dizaino bank- experience was gained and the financial situation improved, the fam-
notai buvo atspausdinti Berlyne O. Elsnerio spaustuvëje (O. Elsner ily of litas banknotes was supplemented by 500 and 1 000 litas notes
Printing House). Vëliau jau labiau apsaugoti banknotai buvo spaus- that were well protected against counterfeiting and were printed by
dinami Prahoje A. Hasës spaustuvëje (A. Hase Printing House). Ágijus the English printing company Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co Ltd. The
patirties ir atsiradus geresnëms finansinëms galimybëms, 1925 circulation and existence of litas banknotes was terminated on

Lietuvos bankas
lito tvirtovë
1926 m. litø banknotø ðeimà papildë gerai apsaugoti nuo padirbinë- March 25, 1941, as a consequence of the Soviet occupation. The
jimo 500 ir 1 000 litø banknotai, kuriuos atspausdino Anglijos spaus- clock counting the history of the national currency was stopped for
tuvë Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co Ltd. Lito banknoto cirkuliacijà ir eg- half a century, and it was only on June 25, 1993, that the Bank of
zistencijà 1941 m. kovo 25 d. nutraukë sovietø okupacija. Pusei am- Lithuania issued litas banknotes into circulation again.
þiaus sustojo nacionalinës valiutos istorijos laikrodis, ir tik 1993 m. The creation of litas banknotes was not a monolithic construc-
birþelio 25 d. Lietuvos bankas á apyvartà vël iðleido litø banknotus. tion it was a manifold process full of different colours and nu-
Litø banknotø kûrimas nebuvo monolitinis statinys ðis proce- ances. The present period is very significant for the reason that
sas turëjo begalæ spalvø ir niuansø. Ðioje knygoje tai bus nagrinëja- Lithuania, as well as other countries of Eastern Europe, is seeking
ma labiau kultûriniu ir meniniu aspektu. Dabartinis laikotarpis ypaè membership in the European Union, and national currencies may
reikðmingas, kadangi Lietuva, kaip ir kitos Rytø Europos ðalys, sie- be replaced by the cosmopolitan euro in the near future. The Bank
kia ástoti á Europos Sàjungà, todël nacionalinius pinigus greitai gali of Lithuania has issued more than one series of each denomination
pakeisti kosmopolitiniai eurai. Lietuvos bankas pastaràjá deðimtme- of litas banknotes during the past ten years, but this publication will
tá iðleido daugiau negu vienà kiekvieno nominalo banknotø laidà, focus mainly on the recent banknote issues.
taèiau ðiame leidinyje daugiau vietos bus skirta paskutiniosioms Each country has its own understanding what a banknote of the
banknotø laidoms. national currency should look like. Banknote printers constantly
Kiekviena valstybë turi savo supratimà, kaip turëtø atrodyti nacio- develop technological peculiarities of banknote printing and pro-
nalinës valiutos banknotas. Kiekviena banknotø spaustuvë, turëdama tect them; nevertheless, certain common principles of banknote de-
keliø deðimtmeèiø, o kai kurios net keliø ðimtmeèiø darbo patirtá, sign have been established over several centuries and their influence
taip pat daro ryðkià átakà spausdinamø banknotø dizainui ir juose may be traced in the banknotes of many countries worldwide.
naudojamoms apsaugos priemonëms. Banknotø spaustuvës puoselëja The 4th Interpol International Conference on Currency Coun-
ir kruopðèiai saugo banknotø spausdinimo technologijos ypatybes, terfeiting, held in Copenhagen on September 1, 1961, noted that in
taèiau per ðimtmeèius susiformavo tam tikri bendri banknotø dizaino this age of technology no single currency production process was in
kûrimo principai, kuriø átaka jauèiama daugelyje pasaulio banknotø. itself a sufficient measure against counterfeiting, and only a combi-
Jau IV tarptautinëje Interpolo konferencijoje pinigø padirbinëji- nation of all technical security features in producing money could
mo klausimais, ávykusioje 1961 m. rugsëjo 1 d. Kopenhagoje, buvo be used successfully against counterfeiting. The Conference adopted
atkreiptas dëmesys á tai, kad ðiame technikos amþiuje në vienas pini- a resolution that currency-issuing authorities should apply the highest
gø gamybos procesas pats savaime neapsaugo nuo padirbinëjimo, standards of quality in printed banknotes. When creating and de-
todël tik visø apsaugos priemoniø derinimas gali sutrukdyti pinigø signing banknotes, a large selection of security measures should be
klastotojams. Konferencija priëmë rezoliucijà, kad pinigus iðleidþian- incorporated both in paper production and banknote printing.
The Bank of Lithuania èios institucijos turëtø taikyti aukðèiausius kokybës standartus spaus- Another common standpoint was reached at the Conference that
the litas stronghold dinamiems banknotams. Kuriant ir projektuojant banknotus, turi shabby and worn-out banknotes in circulation reduce the respect

Paslëptas vaizdas
apsunkina banknoto
kopijavimà
bûti naudojama didelë apsaugos priemoniø ávairovë tiek gaminant for the currency of the public. It was pointed out that such money
popieriø, tiek ir spausdinant banknotus. loses the original characteristics, which facilitates the work of coun-
Ðioje konferencijoje taip pat buvo prieita prie nuomonës, kad terfeiters. A resolution was passed that issuing authorities should
apsitrynæ ir susidëvëjæ banknotai cirkuliacijoje menkina pagarbà, ku- withdraw all worn-out money from circulation and should only keep
rià pinigams turëtø jausti þmonës. Buvo atkreiptas dëmesys á tai, the money which is in good condition in circulation.
kad tokie pinigai praranda savo autentiðkas savybes, o tai palengvi- The 5th International Counterfeit Currency Conference of the
na pinigø padirbinëtojø darbà. Todël buvo priimta rezoliucija, kad Interpol held in Mexico City from 7 to 10 October 1969 noted that
pinigus leidþianèios institucijos iðimtø ið apyvartos visus susidëvëju- the large majority of counterfeits were printed by offset. Another
sius, o apyvartoje paliktø tik gerus pinigus. printing process, known as intaglio, was the only one to offer guar-
V tarptautinëje Interpolo konferencijoje pinigø padirbinëjimo anteed protection, as there was a very limited number of printers
klausimais, ávykusioje 1969 m. spalio 710 d. Meksike, atkreiptas capable of using this printing process. In this relation a resolution
dëmesys á tai, kad daugiausia padirbtø pinigø yra atspausdinta ofse- was adopted by the Conference, recommending that intaglio should
tu. Kitas spausdinimo bûdas giliaspaudë yra vienintelis spausdi- be used for printing banknotes and the intaglio used should be of
nimo bûdas, kuris tikrai garantuoja apsaugà, nes tik labai nedaug the highest quality to gain the maximum advantages that the en-
spaustuviø atlieka ðá procesà. Todël konferencijos metu buvo priim- graving technique could offer.
ta rezoliucija, kuri rekomenduoja spausdinant banknotus bûtinai Lithuanian banknotes bear the portraits of the people who had
naudoti giliaspaudæ. Be to, spausdinimas giliaspaude turi bûti aukð- the most significant role in creating the national identity. Portraits
èiausios kokybës, kad bûtø galima iðgauti visus graviravimo techni- predominate on the banknotes of many countries, as they are formed
ka atliktus niuansus. of a great number of complex and expressive lines, the entirety of
Ið Lietuvos banknotø á mus þvelgia þmonës, kuriø vaidmuo ku- which, printed in intaglio, facilitates creation of secure banknotes
riant ðalies nacionaliná tapatumà buvo labai reikðmingas. Portretai that are difficult to copy. The engraved portrait should have soft
vyrauja daugelyje pasaulio valiutø, nes bûtent jie turi daugybæ sudë- tonal shifts, which not only make a portrait look more lively, but
tingø ir iðraiðkingø linijø, kuriø visuma spausdinant giliaspaude pa- also add more security to the banknote, due to the fact that the
deda sukurti saugø ir sunkiai nukopijuojamà banknotà. Iðgraviruo- greater the number of slight shade shifts and tiny details the portrait
tame portrete turi bûti ðvelniø toniniø perëjimø, suteikianèiø portre- has, the more difficult it becomes to copy the banknote.
tui ne tik gyvumo, bet toks banknotas saugesnis, nes kuo daugiau Each banknote should have a sign for the blind and weak-sighted
neryðkiø ðeðëliniø perëjimø ir smulkiø detaliø, tuo sunkiau já nuko- people. Such signs are also printed in intaglio and can be easily felt
pijuoti. by touch.
Kiekvienas banknotas privalo turëti þenklø akliesiems ir silpna- This Conference also adopted a resolution on banknote paper
regiams. Ðie þenklai taip pat spausdinami giliaspaude, todël jie leng- production. Banknotes printed on banknote paper manufactured A latent image makes a
vai apèiuopiami. from natural materials usually cotton are characterised by a spe- banknote difficult to copy

Vandenþenklis
atpaþástamas net
iðplautame banknote
Ðioje konferencijoje taip pat buvo priimta rezoliucija dël banknotø cific crackle. Currency issuing institutions should not use paper
popieriaus gamybos. Tik popieriniai pinigai savitai ðiugþda, nes jø which is widely used for other commercial purposes. Strange as it
popierius gaminamas ið natûralaus gamtos produkto daþniausiai may seem, the crackling of a banknote is very important to people
ið medvilnës. Pinigus leidþianèios institucijos banknotø neturëtø psychologically. Over the time they have become skilled in telling a
spausdinti popieriuje, kuris naudojamas kitais komerciniais tikslais. genuine banknote from counterfeits just by this specific crackle of
Ðiomis rekomendacijomis vadovaujasi visi centriniai bankai pa- banknote paper.
prastai kiekvieno nominalo banknotui yra gaminamas kitokio at- The above Conference also considered the use of the watermark
spalvio popierius. Þmogui, nors ið pradþiø tai gali atrodyti ir neáti- in the design of banknotes. It was stated that the watermark should
këtina, banknoto ðiugþdesys yra labai svarbu psichologiðkai. Per ilgà be of adequate size and quality so that the subject of the watermark
laikà jis águdo vien tik ið banknotø popieriaus specifinio ðiugþdesio could be easily recognized. The watermark itself should not be over-
atpaþinti tikrus pinigus. printed by other complicated and too distinct elements of the de-
Minëtoje konferencijoje aptartas ir vandenþenklio naudojimas sign.
banknotø dizaine. Priimtoje rezoliucijoje buvo paþymëta, jog bûti- Apart from specific paper, banknote production also uses spe-
na kurti pakankamo dydþio ir geros kokybës vandenþenklá, kad ja- cific inks. Inks should also be manufactured specifically for printing
me vaizduojamas objektas bûtø lengvai atpaþástamas, o pats van- banknotes, so that they could not be commercially available in the
denþenklis nebûtø uþdengtas sudëtingais ir ryðkiais kitais dizaino market. Banknote inks should have the highest possible degree of
elementais. Todël ir litø banknotø vandenþenkliø vietose aiðkiai pa- resistance and stability with regard to physical factors such as light,
stebimas spalvø tonø suðvelnëjimas. friction, hot or cold water, etc., and to chemical agents such as sol-
Banknotø gamybai naudojamas ne tik specialus popierius, bet ir vents, detergents, acids, etc. A resolution was adopted in the above
specialûs daþai. Daþai taip pat turi bûti gaminami iðskirtinai tik Interpol Conference, that currency issuing institutions should lay
banknotams, kad jø negalima bûtø ásigyti komercinëje daþø rinko- down stringent conditions for the choice of inks in printing
je. Popieriniø pinigø daþø savybës yra labai svarbus jø kokybës veiks- banknotes.
nys. Banknotø daþai privalo turëti aukðèiausio lygio atsparumà ir The relationship between colours and the national identity is of
patvarumà tokiems fiziniams veiksniams, kaip ðviesa, trintis, karðtas great importance in the design of banknotes. Although modern
ar ðaltas vanduo ir kt., bei tokioms cheminëms medþiagoms, kaip banknotes are quite colourful, it is quite easy to notice that one
tirpikliai, skalbikliai, rûgðtys ir pan. Minëtoje Interpolo konferenci- colour usually prevails. Many factors influence the range of colours:
joje priimta rezoliucija, nurodanti, jog pinigus iðleidþianèios insti- the artists choice, the decision of experts of central banks, and the
tucijos turëtø nustatyti grieþtus reikalavimus, kaip pasirinkti daþus link between the colour to the represented object. However, most
banknotams spausdinti. of central banks stick to the principal rule that banknotes of each
A watermark remains
recognizable even in a Kuriant banknotø dizainà, labai svarbi yra spalvø ir nacionalinio denomination should have a dominant colour.
washed banknote tapatumo sàsaja. Nors ðiuolaikiniai banknotai gana spalvingi, taèiau The 6th Interpol International Counterfeit Currency Conference

Sutapimo þenklo meninis
atlikimas turi intriguoti
visai nesunku pastebëti, jog viena ið spalvø vyrauja. Daugybë veiks- held in Madrid from 8 to 11 March 1977 strongly recommended to
niø lemia banknotø spalvø spektrà tai ir paèiø dailininkø pasirin- the issuing authorities that high security standards should be fur-
kimas, ir centriniø bankø ekspertø sprendimas, ir spalvos susiejimas ther applied in banknote printing and both offset and intaglio print-
su pasirinktu vaizduojamu objektu. Taèiau dauguma centriniø ban- ing processes should be combined.
kø laikosi pagrindinës taisyklës kiekvieno nominalo banknotas turi One of the basic security features that are printed in offset is the
turëti jam skirtà vyraujanèià spalvà. front to back perfect register mark. When this security feature is
VI tarptautinëje Interpolo konferencijoje pinigø padirbinëjimo viewed on one side of a note, only a combination of meaningless
klausimais, ávykusioje 1977 m. kovo 811 d. Madride, primygtinai small geometric patterns is seen. But when a banknote is held against
raginama banknotus leidþianèias institucijas ir ateityje taikyti aukð- the light, these coloured patterns on both sides form a combined
tus banknotø apsaugos standartus. Spausdinant banknotus, turëtø image. The artistic implementation of this sign should have some
bûti derinami ofseto ir giliaspaudës spausdinimo bûdai. intrigue, so that it would raise a natural desire to hold the banknote
Viena ið svarbiausiø apsaugos priemoniø, spausdinamø ofsetu, up against the light and to make sure that it is not a misprint but
yra averso ir reverso sutapimo þenklas. Þiûrint á ðià apsaugos prie- just a small image of a plane or a book, as in 10 and 20 litas banknotes
monæ kiekvienoje banknoto pusëje atskirai, tai tëra tik á akis kren- of 2001 issue.
tantis nesuprantamø geometriniø figûrëliø rinkinys. Taèiau þvelgiant Taking into account the technological progress the Conference
á ðá þenklà prieð ðviesà, spalvotos figûrëlës susilieja á vienà pieðiná. Ðio noted the necessity of using a fixed mould multi-tone watermark
þenklo meninis atlikimas turi intriguoti, kad kiekvienam, rankose with a great number of tiny details, which could be clearly seen
laikanèiam banknotà, kiltø nenumaldomas noras já pakelti prieð ðviesà against the light; such a watermark would remain recognizable even
ir ásitikinti, jog tai ne spausdinimo klaida, o tiesiog lëktuvëlis ar when a banknote has been washed or folded.
knyga, kaip yra 2001 m. laidos 10 ir 20 litø banknotuose. In addition to the watermark, a security thread is embedded in
Atsiþvelgiant á technikos paþangà, buvo atkreiptas dëmesys á tai, banknote paper at the paper manufacturing stage. A micro-text of
kad banknotø apsaugai naudojamas vandenþenklis privalo bûti dau- the security thread in modern banknotes is demetalised, not printed,
giatonis, turintis daug ðeðëliø, smulkiø detaliø, gerai matomas prieð and, as a result, it does not fade or disappear after washing the
ðviesà, su pastovia vieta banknoto dizaine bûtent toks vanden- banknote with chemical agents (solvents and detergents). Different
þenklis bus atpaþástamas net iðplautame ar sulankstytame banknote. watermarks and security threads designed for each denomination of
Tokias apsaugos priemones, kaip vandenþenklis ar nominalo skai- banknotes do not allow counterfeiters to use the paper of low de-
èiaus mikroperforacija, labiausiai pastebi þmonës. nomination banknotes for forging banknotes of high denominations.
Popieriaus gamybos metu kartu su vandenþenkliu áterpiamas ir With the introduction of colour copiers in the market, which
apsauginis siûlelis. Já ið banknoto iðtraukti nelengva. Ðiuolaikiniuo- made possible simultaneous reproduction of the front and back of The artistic implementa-
tion of the see-through
se banknotuose siûlelio mikrotekstas ne iðspausdinamas daþais, o documents (including banknotes), a real risk of the production of feature should have some
demetalizuojamas, todël plaunant banknotà cheminëmis medþiago- deceptive counterfeits emerged. Consequently, the 7th Interpol In- intrigue

Apsauginis siûlelis
áterpiamas popieriaus
gamybos metu
mis (tirpikliais, skalbimo priemonëmis), jis neiðblunka ir neiðnyks- ternational Counterfeit Currency Conference, held in Lyons from
ta. Skirtingi vandenþenkliai ir apsauginiai siûleliai banknotuose pa- 22 to 26 June, 1987, recommended that central banks should in-
dirbinëtojams atima galimybæ naudoti maþesnio nominalo bankno- corporate specifically adapted security features in the design of
tø popieriø didesniø nominalø banknotams klastoti. banknotes to make them difficult to copy and the counterfeits easy
Rinkoje pasirodþius spalvoto kopijavimo aparatams, kuriais vie- to detect. Specific fine-line structures are used to achieve this aim.
nu metu galima kopijuoti abi dokumentø (taip pat ir banknotø) They are printed in multi-colour offset by using the rainbow effect
puses, iðkilo reali rizika, kad tokiais aparatais galima padirbinëti pi- and specific structures of tiny lines, the crossings of which form
nigus. Todël VII tarptautinëje Interpolo konferencijoje padirbtø pi- spatial design elements. Such printing of very thin lines with inter-
nigø klausimais, ávykusioje 1987 m. birþelio 2227 d. Lione, centri- laced colour shift is designed for the protection of banknotes against
niams bankams rekomenduota kuriant banknotus numatyti specia- counterfeiting by colour copiers.
lias apsaugos priemones, kurios apsunkintø dokumentø kopijavimà The amount of counterfeits produced by using colour copiers,
ir padarytø tokias kopijas lengvai atpaþástamas. Tuo tikslu banknotø however, was increasing, and the 8th Interpol International Confer-
dizaine naudojami apsauginiai tinkleliai. Jie spausdinami ofsetine dau- ence on Currency Counterfeiting, meeting in Ottawa from 27 April
giaspalve spauda su vaivorykðtës efektu ir specifine smulkiø linijø, ku- to 1 May, 1992, recommended that future designs of banknotes
rioms kertantis suformuojami erdviniai dizaino elementai, struktûra. should incorporate high-quality optically variable features and
Toks plonø skirtingø ir persipinanèiø spalvø linijø spausdinimas skirtas complementary security features, in order to make counterfeits more
banknotø apsaugai nuo padirbinëjimo spalvoto kopijavimo bûdu. difficult to produce and easier to recognize.
Spalvoto kopijavimo aparatais padirbtø pinigø daugëjo, todël The 10th Interpol International Counterfeit Currency Confer-
VIII tarptautinëje Interpolo konferencijoje, ávykusioje 1992 m. ba- ence, held in Amsterdam on 812 April, 2002, drew the attention
landþio 27 d.geguþës 1 d. Otavoje, centriniams bankams rekomen- of central banks to incorporating security features not only on the
duota banknotø dizaine numatyti aukðtos kokybës optiðkai kintan- front, but also on the back of banknotes.
èiø ir papildomø apsaugos priemoniø, kad bûtø sunkiau padirbti Sometimes only the experts can detect the differences in the phi-
pinigus bei lengviau atpaþinti klastotes. losophy of banknote printing, and they remain unknown to the
X tarptautinëje Interpolo konferencijoje padirbtø pinigø klausi- general public. Security features meant for the general public, such
mais, ávykusioje 2002 m. balandþio 812 d. Amsterdame, atkreip- as the watermark, the security thread, and intaglio printed portraits
tas centriniø bankø dëmesys á apsaugos priemoniø naudojimà ne tik and others, are easily recognizable with the naked eye without the
banknotø averse, bet ir kitoje pusëje reverse. aid of any special equipment in any circumstances.
Kartais spausdinimo filosofijos skirtumus gali pastebëti tik pa- In their daily life people usually identify banknotes without pay-
A security thread is tyræ ekspertai, o visuomenei jie taip ir lieka neþinomi. Plaèiajai vi- ing much attention to their design and security features, therefore
embedded into the paper
at the banknote paper suomenei skirtos tokios apsaugos priemonës, kaip vandenþenklis, they should be very distinctive and functional. It is very important
manufacturing stage apsauginis siûlelis, giliaspaude atspausdinti portretai ir kitos, be jo- that design elements and security features of the banknotes of all

Mikrotekstas tiesiogiai
susijæs su banknoto
nominalu ir centrinio
banko pavadinimu
kios specialios árangos, plika akimi ir visose gyvenimiðkose situaci- denominations should be positioned in similar or even fixed places
jose lengvai atpaþástamos apsaugos priemonës. Kasdieniame gyveni- of a note.
me þmonës banknotus atpaþásta per daug nesigilindami á jø dizainà The experience of central banks and public opinion surveys have
ir apsaugos priemones, todël jos privalo bûti labai aiðkios ir funk- revealed that every person memorizes only very few of the security
cionalios. Labai svarbu visø nominalø banknotuose dizaino elemen- features incorporated in a banknote. Consequently, design elements
tus ir apsaugos priemones komponuoti kiek galima pastovesnëse ar and security features should be directly related to the denomination
net tose paèiose banknoto vietose. Centriniø bankø darbo patirtis ir numeral of the banknote, name of a central bank, portrait or some
visuomeniniai tyrimai parodë, kad kiekvienas þmogus ásidëmi tik other central featured object.
keletà banknotø apsaugos priemoniø. Todël dizaino elementai ir The graphic design of a banknote has to go a long way to become
apsaugos priemonës turi bûti tiesiogiai susijæ su banknoto nomina- legal tender. A great number of security features are incorporated
lu, centrinio banko pavadinimu, portretu ar kitu pagrindiniu vaiz- into it in various stages of printing. A team of artists, central bank
duojamu objektu. and banknote printing experts work together to perform the task
Grafiniam banknoto pieðiniui dar toli iki banknoto, kaip mokë- which requires specific skills and abilities. Every country, while fol-
jimo ir atsiskaitymo priemonës. Dar daugybë apsaugos priemoniø lowing conventional banknote design principles established world-
áterpiama ávairiuose spausdinimo etapuose. Ðiame daug specifiniø wide, strives to create and to print a national currency that would
ekspertø þiniø ir meniniø sugebëjimø reikalaujanèiame darbe á vie- have its own identity in the international family of currencies. In
nà komandà suburiami dailininkai, spaustuvës bei centrinio banko this way national currency design schools emerge, establish themselves
specialistai. Jø tikslas paversti paprastà popieriaus lapelá saugiu, and develop to perform their mission make a banknote not only a
patogiu naudoti banknotu. Kiekviena valstybë, nors ir laikydamasi means of payment and settlement, but also an original piece of art.
bendrø tarptautiniu mastu nusistovëjusiø banknotø dizaino forma- The book presents the evolution of banknotes. The year 1997
vimo principø, siekia sukurti ir atspausdinti nacionalinæ valiutà, kuri should be singled out as the turning point in the history of printing
rodytø jos tapatumà bendroje pasaulio valiutø ðeimoje. Taip atsi- national currency, after which the Bank of Lithuania has been regu-
randa, formuojasi ir vystosi nacionalinës pinigø kûrimo mokyklos, larly upgrading litas banknotes with new, modern and effective se-
kuriø misija banknotà paversti ne tik mokëjimo ir atsiskaitymo curity features. Security features should be harmonized with the
priemone, bet ir savotiðku meno kûriniu. design of the existing note. In the design of modern banknotes much
Ðioje knygoje pateikiama banknotø evoliucija. Reikëtø iðskirti attention is given to the features which would help the blind and
1997 metus nuo tada Lietuvos bankas reguliariai atnaujina litø short-sighted people to not only tell a genuine note from a counter-
banknotus naujomis, moderniomis ir veiksmingomis apsaugos prie- feit, but also to easily identify each denomination. The public has
monëmis. Atnaujinant apsaugos priemonëmis jau esamà apyvartoje already acquired the necessary specific skills. Nowadays two-dimen- A micro-text is directly
related to the denomina-
banknotà, bûtina ávertinti regimàjà þmogaus atmintá. Apsaugos prie sional security features can be easily reproduced with modern equip- tion of a banknote and the
Ðiuolaikiniø banknotø dizaine ypaè daug dëmesio skiriama priemo- ment. The Bank of Lithuania, similar to most other central banks, name of a central bank

Mikroperforacija
naujos kartos apsaugos
priemonë
nëms, kurios padëtø akliesiems ir silpnaregiams ne tik atskirti tikrà pays the greatest attention to three-dimensional and optically vari-
banknotà nuo klastotës, bet ir lengvai atpaþinti kiekvieno nominalo able security features. They represent security features of a new gen-
banknotà. Visuomenë jau iðsiugdë tam tikrus specifinius ágûdþius. eration that may be used both in the banknote paper manufacturing
Dviejø dimensijø apsaugos priemonës jau lengvai kopijuojamos ðiuo- process and in each stage of the printing process. Following the rec-
laikine áranga. Lietuvos bankas, kaip ir daugelis uþsienio centriniø ommendations of currency production experts these features now
bankø, daugiausia dëmesio skiria trijø dimensijø bei optiðkai kei- occupy a much bigger area on the note.
èianèioms spalvà apsaugos priemonëms. Tai nauja karta apsaugos The new-generation security features make a banknote not only
priemoniø, kurios gali bûti naudojamos tiek banknotø popieriaus more secure, but also provide the designer with possibilities for us-
gamybos procese, tiek ir kiekviename spausdinimo etape. Vadovau- ing new artistic effects, thus increasing the aesthetic value of the
jantis pinigø gamybos ekspertø rekomendacijomis, pastaruoju me- currency.
tu vis daugiau banknoto ploto skiriama bûtent ðioms priemonëms. According to their purpose and identification possibilities secu-
Naujos kartos apsaugos priemonës banknotà daro ne tik sauges- rity features are categorized into four levels, meant for:
ná, banknoto dailininkui jos atveria naujas menines galimybes, o - the general public: security features which can be identified by
pinigui suteikia estetinæ vertæ. the naked eye or felt by finger tips without any additional equip-
Apsaugos priemonës pagal jø paskirtá ir nustatymo galimybes ment;
skirstomos á keturis lygius: - commercial banks and points of sale: security features, the iden-
- plaèiajai visuomenei apsaugos priemonës, kurias galima pa- tification of which requires simple tools (magnifying glass, UV lamp,
stebëti plika akimi ar pajusti pirðtais be jokiø papildomø prietaisø; etc.);
- komerciniams bankams ir prekybos objektams apsaugos prie- - automated cash dispensing, accepting and changing systems:
monës, kurioms nustatyti reikalingos nesudëtingos priemonës (lu- specific security features, which can be recognized only by special
pa, ultravioletiniø spinduliø lempa ir pan.); detectors;
- automatizuotoms banknotø iðdavimo, priëmimo ir keitimo sis- - central banks and automated cash processing systems: security
temoms specialios, tik maðinomis atpaþástamos apsaugos priemo- features protecting the national currency from industrial mass coun-
nës, nustatomos specialiais detektoriais; terfeiting and which are known only to a limited number of bank
- centriniams bankams ir automatizuotoms banknotø apdoroji- employees. Security features of this level are regarded as state secret.
mo sistemoms apsaugos priemonës, sauganèios nacionalinæ valiu- They can be identified only through the use of special professional
tà nuo masinio pramoninio padirbinëjimo ir þinomos tik nedauge- equipment.
liui centrinio banko darbuotojø. Ðio lygio apsaugos priemonës yra An unsuitable combination of security features selected for the
valstybës paslaptis, jas ámanoma nustatyti tik specialia ekspertø áranga. design of national banknotes can ruin the reputation of a central
Microperforation is a
security feature of the new Gerà centrinio banko reputacijà gali sugadinti nacionaliniø bank. Security features may add a distinctive character to a whole
generation banknotø dizainui netinkamai parinktas apsaugos priemoniø deri- series of banknotes. People usually remember two or three security

Holograminë juostelë
ðiuolaikinë trijø
dimensijø apsaugos
priemonë
nys. Apsaugos priemonës padeda suteikti visai banknotø serijai savi- features, but they often vary from person to person. A variety of
tà charakterá. Paprastai þmogus ásimena dvi tris apsaugos priemo- security features are designed for various groups of the society and
nes, taèiau kiekvienas vis kitas. Apsaugos priemoniø ávairovë skirta every person has an opportunity to tell genuine money from a coun-
ávairioms visuomenës grupëms, todël kiekvienas þmogus turi gali- terfeit. Thus, the security level of a banknote is predetermined not
mybæ atskirti tikrà pinigà nuo klastotës. Taigi banknoto apsaugos only by the number of security features included, but also by the
lygá lemia ne tik jame naudojamø apsaugos priemoniø kiekis, bet ir combination of the selected security features.
parinktø apsaugos priemoniø derinys. Paper money becomes worn-out very rapidly in daily circulation.
Popieriniai pinigai kasdienëje apyvartoje labai greitai susidëvi. Who would trust a national currency, the security features of which
Kas gali pasitikëti nacionaline valiuta, jei dël susidëvëjimo ar neðva- cannot be identified because the notes are worn-out and soiled? In
rumø negalima atpaþinti jos apsaugos priemoniø? Kuriant bankno- the process of designing a banknote attention should be paid to the
tà, tenka atsiþvelgti ir á tai, jog kasdienëje apyvartoje daugelis apsau- fact that many security features lose their function because they be-
gos priemoniø nuo susidëvëjimo praranda savo funkcionalumà. To- come worn-out in circulation. This is why the combination of secu-
dël banknote naudojamà apsaugos priemoniø deriná bûtina papil- rity features used in a banknote should be supplemented by metal-
dyti priemonëmis, kuriø pagrindas yra metalas, o patá banknotà pa- based features, and a banknote itself should be covered with a spe-
dengti specialia polimerine danga. cial polymer coating.
Holographic strip is a
modern three-dimensional
security feature

KOKIO NOMINALO LIETUVOS BANKNOTAS JUMS LABIAUSIAI PATINKA?
WHICH DENOMINATION OF THE LITHUANIAN BANKNOTES DO YOU LIKE MOST?
(procentais/per cent)
Analizuodamas, kaip Lietu- In order to analyse the opin-
vos visuomenë vertina naciona- ion of the Lithuanian people
linës valiutos apsaugà, Lietuvos about the security of the na-
bankas ðiuo klausimu reguliariai tional currency the Bank of
uþsako visuomenës nuomonës Lithuania regularly contracts
tyrimus. Apþvelgsime apklau- public opinion polls. The results
sos, kurià atliko Lietuvos ir Di- of the public opinion poll con-
dþiosios Britanijos rinkos ir vi- ducted by the Lithuanian-Brit-
suomenës nuomonës tyrimø ish market research and public
kompanija Baltijos tyrimai/ opinion company Baltijos
The Gallup Organisation, re- tyrimai/The Gallup Organiza-
zultatus. tion are reviewed below.
Tyrimø metu Lietuvos gy- During the survey the people
ventojø buvo praðoma pasaky- of Lithuania were asked to ex-
ti, kokio nominalo Lietuvos press their opinion which deno-
banknotai jiems labiausiai pa- mination Lithuanian banknotes
tinka ir kokio nominalo labiau- they liked and disliked most. The
siai nepatinka. Labiausiai þmo- most popular among the respon-
nëms patinka didþiausiø nomi- dents were the banknotes of the
KOKIO NOMINALO LIETUVOS BANKNOTAS JUMS LABIAUSIAI NEPATINKA?

WHICH DENOMINATION OF THE LITHUANIAN BANKNOTES DO YOU DISLIKE MOST?
nalø banknotai 2000 m. tai highest denominations. In 2000
buvo 200 litø banknotas (48%), it was the 200 litas note (48%)
o 2002 m. þmoniø simpatijos and in 2002 the most favoured
pasidalijo tarp 500 ir 200 litø were 500 and 200 litas notes: the
banknotø: pirmasis labiausiai first one was most liked by one
patinka penktadaliui apklaustø- fifth of the interviewed people,
jø, o antrasis ðiek tiek maþiau and the latter by slightly less
negu penktadaliui. Iðleidus nau- than one fifth of the respondents.
jus 2001 m. laidos 10 ir 20 litø When 10 litas and 20 litas notes
nominalø banknotus, atsirado of the new 2001 issue were
daugiau þmoniø, kuriems jie pa- launched into circulation, the
tinka. number of people who viewed
2000 m. pabaigoje Lietuvos these banknotes favourably in-
gyventojams labiausiai nepatiko creased.
maþiausio nominalo banknotai In late 2000, the banknotes
(ypaè 1 Lt), o juos pakeitus mo- of low denominations (1 litas
netomis, þmonës daug maþiau note in particular) were most dis-
turi priekaiðtø dabar apyvarto- liked by the people of Lithuania.
je esantiems banknotams. Now, after these notes have been
2002 m. ketvirtadalis apklaus- replaced by coins, people ex-
tøjø (27%) atsakë, kad jie ne- pressed much less disapproval of

Banknotø bandiniø
tvirtinimas spaustuvëje
turi jokiø priekaiðtø në vienam the banknotes in circulation.

ið dabartiniø naujø banknotø, o One fourth of the respondents
dar treèdalis (32%) neturëjo (27%) answered that they had
nuomonës ðiuo klausimu. no criticism of any new cur-
Jeigu paanalizuotume bank- rently circulating banknotes,
notus pagal teigiamø ir neigia- and one third of the polled
mø vertinimø santyká, geriausiai people (32%) had no opinion
Lietuvos gyventojai vertina 200 on the subject.
litø banknotà, o blogiausiai 50 The analysis of the rate of
litø banknotà. Daþniausi prie- positive and negative assess-
kaiðtai ðiam banknotui negra- ments shows that the 200 litas
þus dizainas, neryðkios ir iðblu- banknote is rated most highly,
kusios spalvos, neádomus, jau and the 50 litas note has the
atsibodæs, reikëtø naujo ðio no- lowest rating. The most fre-
minalo banknoto, atrodo kaip quent critical comments on this
netikras, per daug liûdnas pi- banknote are as follows: unap-
nigas ir pan. 200 litø bankno- pealing design, dull and faded
tas teigiamai vertinamas uþ gra- colours, uninteresting, boring,
þø dizainà ir spalvà. a new banknote of this denomi-
Tyrimø metu respondentø nation would be desirable, does
taip pat buvo praðoma pasaky- not look like a genuine note,
ti, kaip jie vertina Lietuvos too gloomy, etc.
banknotø apsaugos priemones. Respondents were also asked
2002 m. tarp apklaustø 1574 to tell how they judged the secu-
metø Lietuvos gyventojø buvo rity features of Lithuanian
daugiau mananèiøjø, kad banknotes. In 2002, there were
banknotai yra gerai apsaugoti more people (aged 15 to 74) who
(43%), negu tø, kurie nepasi- considered that banknotes were
tiki apsaugos priemonëmis well protected (43%) than those
(40%). 2000 m. buvo daugiau who did not trust security fea-
mananèiøjø, kad Lietuvos bank- tures (40%). In 2000, the people
notai yra blogai apsaugoti who had the opinion that
(52%), negu tø, kurie pasitiki Lithuanian notes were poorly
apsaugos priemonëmis (45%). protected were more numerous
Kad Lietuvos banknotai yra ge- (52%) than those who trusted
rai apsaugoti, mano ðiek tiek the security features (45%).
daugiau vyrø negu moterø, taip Slightly more men than women,
pat jaunesni negu 50 metø people under fifty, town dwell-
þmonës, miestø gyventojai, tu- ers, people with higher education
rintieji aukðtàjá iðsilavinimà bei and families with the highest in-
tie, kuriø ðeimos pajamos pa- come considered Lithuanian
èios didþiausios. Dar galima pa- banknotes to be well protected.
stebëti, kad apsaugos priemo- It could also be noted that man-
nëmis labiausiai pasitiki vado- agers, experts, public officers,
vai, specialistai, tarnautojai, schoolchildren and students had
moksleiviai ir studentai, o la- more trust in security features
Approval of banknote
biausiai nepasitiki darbininkai than workers and the unem- proofs at the printing
ir bedarbiai. ployed. company

KAIP JÛS MANOTE, AR LIETUVOS BANKNOTAI YRA GERAI APSAUGOTI NUO PADIRBINËJIMO?
DO YOU THINK LITHUANIAN BANKNOTES ARE WELL PROTECTED AGAINST COUNTERFEITING?
Respondentø buvo praðoma Respondents were re-

iðvardyti visas Lietuvos bankno- quested to list all the security
tø apsaugos priemones, kurias features of banknotes they were
jie þino. Geriausiai Lietuvos aware of. The watermark was
þmonëms yra þinomi vanden- mentioned by two of three re-
þenkliai juos paminëjo du ið spondents as a security feature
trijø apklaustøjø. Kitos dvi ge- best known to the people of
riau þinomos apsaugos priemo- Lithuania. The other two bet-
nës tai metalizuota juostelë ter-known features were the
(paminëjo kas antras) ir apsau- metallic strip (mentioned by
giniai siûleliai (paminëjo vienas every second respondent) and
ið septyniø). Tarp pastebimø security threads (pointed out
pokyèiø galima atkreipti dëme- by every seventh respondent).
sá á tai, kad kiekvienais metais Certain changes in the attitude
atliekamø tyrimø metu pami- of the public towards money
nima vis daugiau banknotø ap- should be noted in that every
saugos priemoniø. year more and more security
Pasitikëjimui ar nepasitikë- features were mentioned by the
jimui Lietuvos banknotais, be Tyrimai atlikti 2002 m. polled people.
abejonës, turi átakos ir bendras Surveys conducted in 2002. It is expected that bank-
poþiûris á Lietuvos visuomenës notes and coins will be re-
institucijas pasitikima jomis placed by electronic payment
ar ne. instruments in many areas of
Ar ilgai dar apyvartoje bus life in the future. Why many,
grynieji pinigai? Prognozuoja- and not all, one may wonder.
ma, jog ateityje elektroninës Psychologists maintain that
mokëjimo priemonës turëtø people prefer cash to a record
pakeisti banknotus ir monetas in a bank account. They feel
daugelyje mûsø gyvenimo sri- satisfaction when counting
èiø. Kodël daugelyje, o ne vi- money. A credit or debit card
sose? Psichologai teigia, jog Tyrimai atlikti 2002 m. tends to induce unreasonable
þmonëms labiau patinka gry- Surveys conducted in 2002. spending. Cards cannot solve
nieji pinigai, o ne áraðas sàskai- the problems of blind and
toje. Perskaièiuodamas pinigus, þmogus patiria malonumà. Su kredito short-sighted people. And there is also the shadow economy.
ar debeto kortele jis yra labiau linkæs nepagrástai iðlaidauti. Kortelës ne- The quality of the national currency allows making judgements about
iðsprendþia akløjø ir silpnaregiø problemø. O kur dar ðeðëlinë ekono- the general order in a country. Currency is an object of self-esteem of a
mika? country; it is like a mirror which should always be clean and clear.
Pagal nacionalinës valiutos kokybæ galima spræsti ir apie tvarkà vals- Ten years is certainly a short period in the history of the litas, but it
tybëje apskritai. Bet kurios valstybës sveèias pirmiausia susiduria su pi- has been a very significant one for Lithuania. Nowadays, children at
nigais. Tai valstybës savigarba, tarsi veidrodis, kuris visada privalo schools and nursery schools write compositions about the national cur-
bûti ðvarus ir skaidrus. Deðimtmetis, þinoma, yra palyginti trumpas tarps- rency, and participate in drawing competitions, presenting their de-
nis mûsø lito istorijoje, taèiau labai reikðmingas Lietuvai. Ðiandien mo- signs of the future money; art students chose their diploma subjects
kyklose ir ikimokyklinëse ástaigose vaikai kuria raðinius apie nacionali- related to the analysis of banknote design and visions of the future money.
nius pinigus, aktyviai dalyvauja pieðiniø konkursuose vaizduodami, kaip Banknotes are not just a means of payment. For centuries the na-

Banknotai lyg kalba,
kuria susikalba tautos.
Fotogr. E. Strioga
litas atrodys ateityje, dailës studentai renkasi diplominiø darbø temas, tional currency has been an inseparable part of national culture. Ev-
susijusias su banknotø dizaino analize bei jø ateities vizija. ery nation has sought to strengthen its identity in the turbulent course
Banknotai tai ne tik mokëjimo priemonë. Visais amþiais naciona- of history. National money stays in the memory of the people for a
liniai pinigai buvo ir yra neatsiejama tautos kultûros dalis. Vykstant long time, protecting the national roots of a state. Banknotes may be
audringiems istorijos pokyèiams, kiekviena valstybë siekia átvirtinti sa- compared to language, understandable not only to individuals, social
vo nacionaliná tapatumà. Nacionaliniai pinigai ilgam iðlieka visuome- groups or nations, but also to generations of mankind and even civi-
nës atmintyje, taip sergëdami jos tautiðkumo ðaknis. Banknotai lyg lizations.
kalba, kuria susikalba ne tik individai, visuomenës grupës, tautos, bet ir The Lithuanian nation re-established its state on the map of the
þmonijos kartos, net civilizacijos. world for a second time during the 20th century, and in 1993 its na-
Antrà kartà XX a. lietuviø tauta atkûrë savo valstybæ pasaulio þemë- tional currency, the litas, returned to the family of currencies of the
lapyje, o 1993 m. nacionalinis pinigas litas gráþo á pasaulio valiutø ðeimà. world.
Atgimë lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla. The Lithuanian school of currency design has been revived.
Banknotes are like the

language understandable
to all nations.
Photo by E. Strioga

Banknotai ir jø komponavimo specifika
Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition
Ið pirmo þvilgsnio banknotas tik keturkampis, ámantriai orna- At first glance a banknote seems to be just a quadrangular, fanci-
mentuotas popieriaus lapelis su portretu, peizaþu ir tekstu. Taèiau ðis fully ornamented piece of paper bearing a portrait, a landscape and
lapelis turi didelæ galià uþ já galima pirkti reikalingus daiktus, atsily- some text. Nevertheless this piece of paper has great power it allows
ginti uþ paslaugas, be rûpesèiø keliauti per pasaulá, iðkeièiant vienoje you to purchase necessary things, pay for services, travel around the
ðalyje iðleistus popierëlius á kitos ðalies popierëlius. Þodis banknotas world exchanging the pieces of paper issued in one country for the
suprantamas beveik visame Þemës rutulyje. ones issued in other countries. The word banknote is familiar to
Europoje banknotai, kaip visuotinai pripaþinta mokëjimo priemo- people all over the world.
në, þinomi nuo XVII a., o metaliniø pinigø istorija skaièiuojama tûks- Banknotes, as universally acknowledged means of payment, have
tanèiais metø. Metaliniai pinigai buvo labai sunkûs, juos tekdavo ga- been known in Europe since the 17th century, and the history of metal
benti net veþimais, ir pirkliams, keliaujantiems ið miesto á miestà, bû- money goes back thousands of years. Metal money was very heavy so
davo nepatogu. Ieðkant iðeities ir buvo sugalvota raðteliø sistema. Pir- that a bigger amount would have to be carried by carts, making it
mi banknotai buvo ranka raðyti raðteliai ásipareigojimai raðtelio sa- burdensome to merchants to travel from town to town. In search for
vininkui nurodytà sumà iðmokëti metaliniais pinigais. Dar ir dabar a way out, a system of notes was invented. The first banknotes were
kai kuriø ðaliø banknotuose spausdinami tokie tekstai. Pavyzdþiui, handwritten notes promising to pay to the holder of the note the
ðiuolaikiniame Indijos banknote galima perskaityti: Að pasiþadu ðio indicated amount of money in metal currency.
raðtelio savininkui sumokëti 10 rupijø. Chinese were the first to tackle this problem. As early as in the late
Anksèiausiai ðià problemà ëmësi spræsti kinai. Jie dar X a. pabaigo- 10 century they used to leave their metal money in shops and re-
th
je sunkius metalinius pinigus palikdavo parduotuvëse ir gaudavo ðei- ceived instead a note indicating the deposited amount signed by the
mininko pasiraðytà raðtelá apie deponuotà sumà. Tai tapus tradicija ir shop owner. When this became a tradition and many notes of this
atsiradus gausybei tokio pobûdþio raðteliø, pradëta juos padirbinëti. type appeared, the counterfeiting of such notes began. In search for
Ieðkant bûdø apsisaugoti nuo apgavikø, raðteliams buvo pradëta ga- ways to protect them against counterfeiters a special kind of paper for
minti specialø popieriø, pirkliai sugalvodavo individualias apsaugos these deposit bills was manufactured, and merchants used to invent
priemones, skolos raðtelius paþymëdavo tik jiems vieniems þinomais their own security features: they marked deposit bills with individual
slaptais þenklais, medinëmis kliðëmis spausdindavo specialius blan- secret signs that were known only to them, printed special blanks
kus, gamindavo spaudus, taèiau tai nedaug padëdavo. Teismai buvo with wooden plates and made stamps. But these measures were not
uþversti padirbinëtojø bylomis ir pagaliau buvo imtasi priemoniø vals- effective enough. Courts were overloaded with cases against counter-
tybës mastu. feiters and, finally, measures had to be taken on the national level.
Pirmieji valstybiniai skolos raðteliai banknotø pirmtakai iðleisti The first national promissory notes, predecessors of banknotes,
1024 m. Kinijoje, valdant Sungø dinastijai. Jie buvo atspausdinti va- were issued in China under the reign of the Song dynasty in 1024.
rinëmis kliðëmis. Anksèiau pirkliø naudotos medinës kliðës neatlai- They were printed with copper plates on paper made of the bark of
kydavo didesnio atspaudø skaièiaus, o raiþyti daug vienodø formø the mulberry tree. It was thick and coarse, but it was resistant to fold-

Prancûzijos nacionalinës
asamblëjos asignatas.
1792 m.
Prancûzijos nacionalinës
asamblëjos asignatas.
1794 m.
Currency bill of the

French National Assembly
dated 1792
Currency bill of the

French National Assembly
dated 1794
24 Banknotai ir jø komponavimo specifika

Varðuvos kunigaikðtystës
kasos bilietas. 1810 m.
buvo neparanku, be to, padidëdavo ir padirbinëjimo galimybës tarp ing and crumpling. Chinese paper money was stamped with the seal
nevisiðkai vienodø atspaudø lengviau paslëpti neteisëtu bûdu paga- of the government and a stamp indicating the place where the note
mintus raðtelius. Pirmieji banknotai buvo spausdinami popieriuje, pa- could be exchanged into coins. Approximately at the same time a
gamintame ið ðilkmedþio þievës. Jis buvo storas ir ðiurkðtus, taèiau letterpress printing technique was invented a movable type with a
atsparus lankstymui ir glamþymui. Kiniðki pinigai buvo þymimi vy- note number to be later inserted into an empty space on the print
riausybës ir vietos, kur banknotas buvo keièiamas á monetas, antspau- using a separate plate.
du. Maþdaug tuo laiku buvo iðrastas ir spausdinimo surenkamomis The Europeans followed a similar way, albeit several hundred years
raidëmis bûdas á paliktà tuðèià vietà pagamintame atspaude vëliau later. The king of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus, in effort to replenish
kita kliðe bûdavo áspaudþiamas numeris. the national budget after the Thirty Years War (16181648), estab-
Labai panaðø kelià iki banknoto nuëjo ir europieèiai, tik jie vëlavo lished the Royal Bank and empowered it to issue notes of deposit
kelis ðimtmeèius. Ðvedijos karalius Gustavas Adolfas, mëgindamas pa- against metal money deposited in the bank. The notes had the same
pildyti Trisdeðimties metø karo (16181648 m.) nualintà valstybës biu- value as the money deposited in the bank. Some time later other coun-
dþetà, ásteigë Karaliðkàjá bankà ir ágaliojo já iðdavinëti depozitinius rað- tries followed, issuing state banknotes with the precise amount indi-
tus uþ banke paliktus metalinius pinigus. Raðtai turëjo tokià pat vertæ, cated on them. The text, denomination numeral and name of a bank
kaip ir banke palikti pinigai. Ðiek tiek vëliau ir kitose ðalyse pradëti leisti were printed in elaborate calligraphic type imitating handwritten char-
valstybiniai banknotai su nurodyta konkreèia suma. Ant specialaus po- acters on special paper with a watermark. Such a banknote with a
pieriaus su vandenþenkliais puoðniu kaligrafiniu ðriftu, imituojanèiu ran- handwritten number was registered as a document in the books of the
ka raðytas raides, buvo atspausdinamas tekstas, nominalo skaièius ir ban- bank. It was signed by the cashier of the bank himself. Notes of simi-
ko pavadinimas. Toks banknotas su ranka áraðytu numeriu, kaip doku- lar type were issued in the State of Poland and Lithuania in 1794
mentas, buvo áregistruojamas banko knygose. Já pasiraðydavo pats ban- during the uprising led by Tadeusz Koúciuszko.
ko kasininkas. Panaðûs banknotai buvo leidþiami 1794 m. Lenkijos ir Paper money was not readily accepted by the public. People were
Lietuvos valstybëje Tado Kosciuðkos sukilimo metu. accustomed to heavy and reliable coins, often made of precious metals,
Popieriniø pinigø kelias á visuomenæ nebuvo lengvas. Þmonës, pri- and it took some time for a piece of paper, which did not seem to be
pratæ prie sunkiø, patikimø, daþnai ið tauriøjø metalø nukaldintø mo- durable, to win their trust. Several hundred years were to pass until
netø, negreitai pradëjo pasitikëti ið paþiûros nepatvariu popierëliu. banknotes became generally accepted by the public. In some European
Dar turëjo praeiti apie porà ðimtø metø, kol banknotai buvo visuoti- countries paper money was issued as late as at the end of the 19th century.
nai priimti. Kai kuriø Europos ðaliø bankai popierinius pinigus iðlei- A banknote passes from hands to hands, it is held in wallets, in the
do tik XIX a. pabaigoje. drawers of the cash desks in shops, automated sorting machines and
Banknotas eina ið rankø á rankas, pabuvoja piniginëse, parduotu- bank vaults. It turns up in various situations: a banknote is touched
Treasury note of the
viø stalèiuose, automatinëse skaièiavimo maðinose, bankø saugyklo- by dirty fingers, crumpled in pockets with other articles and is some- Duchy of Warsaw
se. Jis pakliûva á ávairias situacijas: imamas neðvariais pirðtais, glamþo- times even washed together with dirty laundry. It is for these reasons dated 1810

Rusijos banknotas.
1819 m.
Rusijos banknotas.
1865 m.
mas kiðenëse drauge su kitais daiktais, kartais net iðskalbiamas su dra- that the paper, printing inks and security features of a note should be
buþiais, todël jo popierius, spaudos daþai, apsaugos priemonës turi particularly durable.
bûti ypaè patvarûs. XX a. pradþioje amerikieèiai banknotø amþiui pra- Paper plays a very important role in the production of banknotes
ilginti buvo iðradæ net specialià banknotø skalbimo maðinà. Jie iðsiaið- and has to meet specific requirements. It must not be thick but stiff,
kino, kad net 30 procentø á bankà gràþinamø banknotø yra ne susi- resistant to mechanical effects, suitable for using various types of print-
dëvëjæ, bet paprasèiausiai neðvarûs. Buvo sukonstruota áranga, kuri, ing inks and incorporating modern security features. People who
aptarnaujama dviejø þmoniø, per valandà iðskalbdavo, iðdþiovindavo handle money daily are capable of distinguishing banknote paper from
ir iðlygindavo 5 000 banknotø. Taèiau vëliau, Pirmojo pasaulinio ka- any other type of paper because of its coarse surface and specific crack-
ro metais trûkstant linø ir popieriø pradëjus gaminti tik ið medvilnës, ling. Each banknote is printed on the paper produced for that par-
skalbimo teko atsisakyti. ticular issue.
Gaminant banknotà, nepaprastai svarbià vietà uþima popierius Manufactured banknote paper has a number of security features,
jam keliami ypaè dideli reikalavimai. Popierius turi bûti nestoras, stan- among which the watermark is one of the oldest and has remained
dus, atsparus mechaniniams poveikiams, tinkamas ávairiø rûðiø poli- the most important security feature until now. The watermark is a
grafiniams daþams ir modernioms apsaugos priemonëms. Ðiurkðtaus certain image an emblem, ornament, text or portrait. It is formed
pavirðiaus, savitai ðiugþdantá banknotø popieriø þmonës, kasdien dir- from thicker and thinner layers of paper and is clearly seen when viewed
bantys su pinigais, lengvai atskiria nuo padirbto. Kiekvienam bankno- against the light. In Western Europe the watermark has been known
tui gaminamas specialus tik tai laidai skirtas popierius. since as early as the 13th century when paper manufacturers marked
Pagamintame popieriuje yra nemaþai apsaugos priemoniø, taèiau their paper with watermarks. For many years the watermark has been
viena ið seniausiø ir iki ðiol svarbiausiø yra vandenþenklis. Tai yra tam used as a protection feature for securities. A modern watermark is
tikras vaizdas emblema, ornamentas, tekstas ar portretas. Jis sudary- usually a complex portrait, containing many details and tonal shad-
tas ið storesnio ir plonesnio popieriaus sluoksniø ir aiðkiai matomas ows, which is a copy of the portrait or another design element printed
þiûrint prieð ðviesà. Vakarø Europoje vandenþenklis þinomas nuo on the front of the note.
XIII a. popieriaus manufaktûros juo þymëdavo savo gaminius, be Another paper security feature consists of coloured fibres, which
to, jis seniai naudojamas kaip vertybiniø popieriø apsaugos priemo- are visible to the naked eye, or white fibres that merge with the paper
në. Ðiuolaikiniø pinigø vandenþenklis daþniausiai sudëtingas portre- and are visible under ultraviolet light, both introduced into the paper
tas su daug detaliø ir toniniø perëjimø, poligrafiniu bûdu atspausdin- in the production process.
to portreto ar kito svarbaus dizaino elemento pakartojimas. The security thread is one more paper security feature. It was pat-
Russian banknote Kita popieriaus apsaugos priemonë á gaminamo popieriaus masæ ented in 1935 in England, and was used for extremely important pa-
dated 1819 ámaiðoma spalvotø, matomø plika akimi, arba baltø, susiliejanèiø su pers and documents. It took long years of research to find a technique
Russian banknote popieriaus mase, plauðeliø, fluorescuojanèiø banknotà apðvietus ul- for embedding a thread into a banknote without harming the stiff-
dated 1865 travioletine ðviesa. ness of a note and affecting the speed of paper production. In 1940,

Niujorko miesto banko
banknotas. 1863 m.
Japonijos privataus pirklio

banknotas. 1858 m.
Apsauginis siûlelis dar viena popieriaus apsaugos after a solution meeting the requirements of both
priemonë. Uþpatentuotas 1935 m. Anglijoje, jis buvo manufacturers and bankers was found, a £1 note with
naudojamas nepaprastai svarbiems popieriams ir doku- a security thread was issued. The security thread is usu-
mentams. Ilgai ieðkota bûdø, kaip áterpti ðá siûlelá, ne- ally embedded in the paper, though sometimes it is
pakenkiant banknoto standumui, nesulëtinant popie- visible as a windowed line. Security threads often con-
riaus gamybos tempo. Radus gamybininkus ir banki- tain a microtext. When a banknote is held up against
ninkus tenkinantá sprendimà, 1940 m. iðleistas 1 svaro the light, the security thread is seen as a continuous
sterlingø banknotas su apsauginiu siûleliu. Paprastai ap- dark line running vertically across the banknote. Se-
sauginis siûlelis visas áterpiamas á popieriø já gaminant, curity threads of modern banknotes may vary in width,
taèiau kartais jis matomas reguliaraus punktyro ritmu fluoresce under UV light or produce a holographic ef-
iðkilæs á pavirðiø. Daþnai apsauginiame siûlelyje yra mik- fect.
rotekstas. Þiûrint á banknotà prieð ðviesà, siûlelis mato- Banknotes are traditionally decorated with orna-
mas kaip tamsi juostelë, vertikaliai kertanti banknotà. ments, texts and images of historical objects. Two print-
Ðiuolaikiniuose banknotuose apsauginis siûlelis gali bû- ing methods, offset and intaglio, are used to print all
ti ávairiø ploèiø, fluorescuoti ultravioletinëje ðviesoje ar these design elements. All design components taken
turëti holografiná efektà. together create a specific composite look of a banknote.
Banknotà paprastai puoðia ornamentai, tekstai, isto- A particular role is assigned to guilloche structures
riniø objektø pieðiniai. Visa tai atspausdinama dviem (Fr. guilloche graver). They are complex patterns of lin-
spaudos bûdais ofsetu ir giliaspaude. Visi komponen- ear ornaments, cut with a special mechanical instru-
tai, vienas kità papildydami, sukuria specifiná banknoto ment on a metal surface and printed on paper. Early
vaizdà. banknotes were decorated with exquisite ornaments
Svarbià vietà uþima giljoðo struktûros (pranc. guillo- hand-drawn by an artist. The work of the artists was
che raiþytuvas). Tai sudëtingo pieðinio linijinis or- made much easier with the advent of the guilloche ma-
namentas, atspaustas popieriuje. Pirmuosius banknotus chine invented by the Austrian inventor Jacob Degen
stengtasi puoðti ámantriais dailininko pieðtais ornamen- in 1810. It allowed drawing incredibly precise line or-
tais. Jø darbà labai palengvino 1810 m. austrø iðradëjo naments based on a special formula. The space on a
Banknote of the New
Jakobo Degeno (Jacob Degen) iðrasta giljoðo maðina, kuri banknote is filled with a perfectly drawn guilloche net- York City Bank
pieðdavo nepaprastai taisyklingus, pagal specialià formulæ work. These complex fine lines are too complicated to dated 1863
apskaièiuotus ornamentus. Banknoto erdvës uþpildomos be drawn by hand, and they are produced by using a
Banknote of a Japanese
juvelyriðku giljoðo mezginiu. Sudëtingø plonø linijëliø special mechanism, which is now usually controlled private merchant
neámanoma nubrëþti ranka, jos pieðiamos specialiu, ðiais by a computer. Even modern photocopiers fail to re- dated 1858

V. Kudirkos portreto
graviûra 500 litø
banknote
V. Kudirkos portretas
500 litø banknoto
vandenþenklis
Vengrijos 1930 m. laidos

banknoto giljoðas
Engraving of the portrait

of V. Kudirka on the 500
litas banknote
Portrait of V. Kudirka as
the watermark for the 500
litas banknote
Guilloche from a
Hungarian banknote
of 1930

1924 m. V. Jomanto
sukurto 500 litø banknoto
giljoðas
Guilloche from
the 500 litas banknote
designed by
V. Jomantas in 1924

Tarybinio 1991 m. laidos
100 rubliø banknoto
ornamentas,
suprojektuotas pagal
Orloff metodà
laikais daþniausiai kompiuteriu valdomu prietaisu. Tokiø linijiniø produce such linear structures: their image on the copy looks as if it
struktûrø nepakartoja net ðiuolaikinës kopijavimo priemonës, atga- consisted of tiny dots. Guilloche ornaments have been successfully
minanèios vaizdà ið maþø taðkeliø. Giljoðo ornamentas sëkmingai nau- used for two hundred years. Even in these days, when printing equip-
dojamas jau du ðimtmeèius. Net ir ðiais laikais, iðtobulëjus poligrafi- ment and computer technologies have become highly sophisticated,
jos árangai, kompiuteriø technologijoms, giljoðo principu sukurtas or- guilloche-based ornaments remain an important security feature.
namentas yra svarbi banknotø apsaugos priemonë. The engraved portrait printed in intaglio is an old traditional and
Giliaspaude atspausdinta portreto graviûra ypaè svarbi ir senas exceptionally significant security feature. It was noticed long ago that
tradicijas turinti apsaugos priemonë. Jau seniai pastebëta, kad tam the portrait of a publicly well-known person is a perfect security fea-
labai tinka visuomenei gerai paþástamos asmenybës portretas. ture.
Banknoto portretà graviruoja pinigus gaminanèios firmos grave- The portrait for a banknote is engraved by the engraver of the
ris. Darbas labai kruopðtus, reikalaujantis didelës kantrybës ir meist- banknote printing company. This task is very accurate and requires
riðkumo menkiausiu netiksliu rankos judesiu galima sugadinti dau- great patience and skill: a single imprecise movement of the hand can
gelio mënesiø triûsà. Iðgraviruotoje metalo plokðtëje yra gilûs, aðtriais ruin the result of several-months hard work. The engraved plate has
kraðtais grioveliai tose vietose, kur reikia atspausdinti tamsias linijas. deep, sharp-edged grooves cut in the places where dark lines should
Spaudos daþai áterpiami á tuos griovelius, o atspausdinus jie staigiai be printed. These grooves are filled with printing inks which dry very
iðdþiûsta ir lieka apèiuopiami nelygumai. quickly after printing, forming ridges of ink on the surface that may
Nemaþiau svarbi banknotø gamybos proceso sudëtinë dalis yra spe- be felt by touch.
cialûs daþai. Jie turi atitikti specifinius jiems keliamus reikalavimus. Special inks are of no less importance in the process of banknote
Ðiø daþø negalima lyginti su tais, kuriais spausdinami spalvoti þurna- production. They must satisfy specific requirements. These inks should
lai ar knygos. Banknotø daþais spausdinami nominalo skaièiai, teks- not be identified with those used for printing colour magazines or
tai, kai kurios apsaugos priemonës, ámantrûs, spalvingi ornamentai ir books. Banknote printing inks are used to print denomination nu-
vaizdai jie popieriaus lapelá paverèia pinigu. Nuo daþø kokybës ir merals, texts, some of security features, intricate coloured ornaments
patvarumo priklauso, ar po ilgalaikio kasdienio vartojimo ávairiomis and images they turn a piece of paper into money. It is the quality
sàlygomis banknotas iðliks atpaþástamas, o netinkamà apyvartai bent and stability of the inks that determine whether a note will remain
bus galima pakeisti nauju. recognizable after a long period of daily circulation, while unfit
Pinigø ekspertai ið daþø gamintojø reikalauja, kad spaudos daþai banknotes would be replaced by new ones.
bûtø atsparûs ðviesai, drëgmei, riebalams, ávairiems chemikalams. Daþai Banknote experts require from ink manufacturers that printing
bandomi specialiais testais, kurie prilygsta ekstremalioms sàlygoms. inks should be resistant to light, moisture, fat and various chemical
Ornament Atspausdinti banknotai plaunami vandenyje, buitiniuose chemikaluo- agents. Inks undergo special tests under conditions close to extreme.
on the Soviet
100 rouble note of 1991, se, plëðomi, glamþomi, trinami su ðiurkðèiais pavirðiais ir tik iðlaikæ Printed notes are washed in water and household chemicals, torn,
designed by Orloff method spalvà, intensyvumà, nenubyrëjæ popieriaus lenkimo vietose, pripa- crumpled and rubbed against rough surfaces, and only in case the

10 litø banknoto sutapimo
þenklo projekto eskizai.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
10 litø banknoto sutapimo

þenklo bendras vaizdas,
aversas ir reversas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
þástami vertais dëmesio. Be atsparumo mechaniniam ir cheminiam inks retain their colour and brightness, do not crumble off in the
poveikiui, banknotø daþai turi daugybæ kitø specifiniø savybiø: jie places of folding the paper are they judged to deserve attention. Apart
liuminescuoja ultravioletinëje ðviesoje, keièia spalvà þiûrint á bankno- from resistance to mechanical and chemical effects printing inks have
tà kitu kampu. Yra ir kitø daþø savybiø, þinomø tik pinigø eksper- a number of other specific qualities: they fluoresce under ultraviolet
tams. Pinigai gaminami greitaeigëmis maðinomis, todël bûtina, kad light and change colour when viewed from different angles. There are
daþai momentaliai dþiûtø, nesiteptø, kad jais bûtø galima tiksliai at- some other specifications that are known only to banknote experts.
spausdinti plonytes giljoðo linijas. Banknotes are produced by high-speed presses, and it is therefore nec-
Poligrafiniu bûdu spausdinama daugelis apsaugos priemoniø: essary that inks should dry instantly and should not smear, so that
portretas, abipusio sutapimo þenklas, paslëptos raidës ar simboliai, precise printing of fine guilloche lines was possible.
atpaþinimo þenklai akliesiems, mikrotekstai ir kt. Iki ðiol sëkmingai The main printing processes are used for printing many security
taikomas Orloff metodas, kai ávairiø spalvø daþai nuo keliø plokðèiø features: the portrait, see-through feature, latent characters or sym-
perkeliami ant vienos ir ja spausdinama popieriuje. Ðiuo metodu spaus- bols, recognition signs for the blind, microtext and others. Up until
dinama monotoniðka giljoðo linijëliø struktûra dizainerio numatyta now the Orloff printing method has been used to transfer inks of dif-
tvarka keièia spalvà ir sudaro spalvingà, nepaprastai tiksliai sutam- ferent colours from a number of plates onto one plate for further
pantá ornamentà. printing on the paper. Monotonous guilloche line structures printed
Pastaraisiais metais pagamintuose lietuviðkuose banknotuose yra in this way change colour in the order envisaged by the designer and
ir viena ið moderniausiø apsaugos priemoniø mikroperforacija. Þiû- form a colourful ornament of precisely aligned lines.
rint prieð ðviesà, matomas nominalo skaièius ið skyluèiø, padarytø la- The majority of the security features are aimed at the general pub-
zeriu. lic. Every person who has a banknote in his or her hands can easily
Didþioji apsaugos priemoniø dalis yra skirta eiliniams þmonëms. check any doubt regarding the authenticity of the note. All one needs
Kiekvienas vartotojas, paëmæs á rankas banknotà ir suabejojæs jo tik- to do is hold up a note against the light and see the watermark, the
rumu, gali nesunkiai tai patikrinti. Reikia tik pakelti banknotà prieð security thread and a see-through feature; touch the surface to feel the
ðviesà, kad pamatytume vandenþenklá, apsauginá siûlelá, abipusio su- relief of intaglio printing; tilt a note to check for iridescent multicolour
tapimo þenklà, paliesti, kad apèiuoptume giliaspaudës daþø reljefà, holograms and latent characters and symbols. There are also security
pavartyti kupiûrà, kad ásitikintume, ar ðvyti daugiaspalvës hologra- features which are more difficult to see, such as microtext, complex Sketches of the design for
the 10 litas notes
mos, ar yra paslëptos raidës ir simboliai. Yra ir sunkiau áþvelgiamø, guilloche line patterns, etc., which can, however, be observed through
see-through feature.
taèiau per didinamàjá stiklà regimø apsaugos priemoniø, tai mikro- a magnifying glass. Designed by G. Jonaitis
tekstai, giljoðo linijëliø pieðinio sudëtingumas ir kt. The described security features based on the state-of-the-art tech-
Aptartosios naujausiomis technologijomis pagrástos apsaugos prie- nologies are not secret. Nowadays, every bank of issue prints and dis- See-through feature of the
10 litas banknote (general
monës nëra jokia paslaptis. Ðiais laikais kiekvienas pinigø emisijos tei- tributes special brochures providing comprehensive information to view, front and back).
sæ turintis bankas kartu spausdina ir masiðkai platina specialius lanksti- the people about the key security features and their location on a Designed by G. Jonaitis

10 eurø banknotas
ultravioletinëje ðviesoje
nukus, kuriuose populiariai aiðkinamos svarbiausios apsaugos prie- banknote. However, there are certain banknote security features that
monës, jø iðdëstymo vietos. Tiesa, tam tikra banknotuose esanèiø ap- are not disclosed to the general public. They are checked, if necessary,
saugos priemoniø dalis neþinoma plaèiajai visuomenei. Esant reika- at specialised laboratories using modern equipment.
lui, jos tikrinamos specialiose laboratorijose tobula ðiuolaikine áranga. Counterfeiting of currency has always been considered one of the
Pinigø padirbinëjimas visais laikais buvo vienas ið didþiausiø vals- greatest crimes against the state, sometimes even punishable by the
tybiniø nusikaltimø anksèiau uþ tai buvo baudþiama net mirtimi. death penalty. Counterfeiters were threatened with warnings on
Pinigø padirbinëtojai buvo gàsdinami grasinanèiais uþraðais ant banknotes. In Germany, for example, a note issued in 1856 had a
banknotø. Pvz., 1856 m. Vokietijoje iðleistame banknote dailininkas picture made by an artist showing a high jagged prison wall and a
nupieðë aukðtà kalëjimo sienà su dantytais bokðtais ir grësmingu uþra- threatening warning about the punishment for counterfeiters. Many
ðu apie klastotojo laukiantá atpildà. Daugelis vyresnës kartos Lietuvos Lithuanian people of the older generation remember texts of this kind
þmoniø prisimena tokius pat tekstus tarybiniuose piniguose, o dar on the Soviet banknotes, and similar warnings on the inter-war litas
vyresni ir tarpukario Lietuvos lituose. notes would be familiar to even older people.
10 euro banknote under

ultraviolet light

Spaustuvës Orell Füssli
Security Printing Ltd
reklaminio banknoto
aversas ir reversas
Promotional banknote of
the printing house Orell
Füssli Security Printing
Ltd, front and back

Slovënijos 10 taleriø
banknoto reversas
Islandijos 10 kronø
banknoto aversas
Malaizijos 2 ringitø
banknoto aversas
Slovenian 10 thaller
banknote, back
Icelandic 10 krona
banknote, front
Malaysian 2 ringgit
banknote, front

Egipto 1 svaro banknoto
aversas
50 eurø banknoto aversas

ir reversas
Egyptian 1 pound
banknote, front
50 euro banknote, front

and back

Lietuvos banknotø kûrimo bruoþai
Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes
XVII a. Europoje pasirodæ banknotai á Lietuvà nepateko. XVIII a. The banknotes which appeared in Europe in the 17th century did
pabaigos suirutë Lenkijos ir Lietuvos valstybëje bei po to vykæ padali- not reach Lithuania. The upheavals in the State of Poland and
jimai galutinai likvidavo valstybæ. Norint atgaivinti ekonomikà po Lithuania in late 18th century and the ensuing partitions of the coun-
1772 m. padalijimo, bandyta ieðkoti naujø kreditavimo formø. Tada try brought the state into a complete ruin. In order to revive the
ir buvo pritaikyta Anglijos, Ðvedijos, Austrijos ir kitø valstybiø, kur economy after the partition of 1772, attempts were made to find new
jau buvo sukurta bankø sistema, patirtis. 1774 m. Seime Janas Alek- crediting forms. It was then that the experience of England, Sweden,
sandras Kraðevskis (Jan Aleksander Kraszewski) pateikë popieriniø pi- and other states that had already established their banking systems
nigø projektà, taèiau, sulaukus pasiprieðinimo, projekto atsisakyta. Vë- was applied. In 1774 Jan Aleksander Kraszewski submitted a paper
liau, pritariant paèiam karaliui Stanislovui Augustui, vël pamëginta já money project to the Seimas, but it met with opposition and was
atgaivinti. Labai nusipelnë Varðuvos bankininkas Andþejus Kapostas rejected. Later on, efforts were made to revive the project that was
(Andrzej Kapostas), kuris parengë Valstybinio banko struktûros ir po- supported by King Stanislaus Augustus himself. Andrzej Kapostas
pieriniø pinigø emisijos planà. Taèiau idëjà ágyvendino tik Tado Kos- should be mentioned as a person of greatest merit: he developed a
ciuðkos sukilimo vadovai, kaip minëta, jie iðleido pirmuosius popieri- plan for the structure of the state bank and the issue of paper money.
nius pinigus. Þlugus sukilimui, pasibaigë ir trumpas ðiø pinigø Len- However, the idea was only implemented by the leaders of Tadeusz
kijos ir Lietuvos valstybëje egzistavimas. Po Treèiojo padalijimo Lie- Koúciuszko uprising who, as mentioned above, issued the first paper
tuvos Didþiàjà Kunigaikðtystæ (LDK) prijungus prie carinës Rusijos, money. The brief existence of these notes came to an end soon after
Lietuvoje iki pat Pirmojo pasaulinio karo kursavo rusiðki rubliai. Vo- the revolt failed. After the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was annexed to
kieèiams uþëmus Lietuvà, 1916 m. jø karinë administracija ákûrë Ry- czarist Russia as a result of the third partition of the State of Poland
tø skolinamosios kasos Kauno skyriø, kuriam pavedë leisti pinigus and Lithuania, Russian roubles circulated in Lithuania until the start
Lietuvos (tada su dalimi dabartinës Gudijos ir Lenkijos) ir Kurðo (da- of World War I. In 1916, upon the occupation of Lithuania by Ger-
bar Latvija) teritorijoms. Ðiø pinigø averso tekstai buvo spausdinami many, its military administration established the Kaunas branch of
vokieèiø, o reverso lietuviø, lenkø ir latviø kalbomis. Pinigai buvo the Eastern Credit Fund (Darlehnskasse Ost), which was authorised to
vadinami ostrubliais, vëliau ostmarkëmis, paskelbus Lietuvos nepri- issue currency in the territories of Lithuania (at that time it included
klausomybæ auksinais. Jie iðsilaikë apyvartoje, kol buvo ávesti litai. a part of the present Belarus and Poland) and Curonia (present Latvia).
Nacionalinës valiutos klausimas Lietuvoje svarstytas 1919 m. pra- The texts on the front of these banknotes were printed in German,
dþioje. Planuota piniginá vienetà pavadinti muðtiniu. 1919 m. rug- and on the back in the Lithuanian, Polish and Latvian languages. At
pjûèio mën. dailininkas Antanas Þmuidzinavièius supaþindino Mi- first the money was named ostroubles and later ostmarks, and, after
nistrø Kabineto narius su banknotø projektais, taèiau, pradëjus bûgð- Lithuania declared its independence, it was called auksinas. This cur-
tauti, kad per karus ir okupacijas sugriautas visuomenës pasitikëjimas rency remained in circulation until the introduction of the litas.
pinigais gali suþlugdyti ir naujuosius lietuviðkus, be to, iðkilus sunku- National currency issues were considered in Lithuania in early 1919.
mams dël pinigø gamybos, parengiamieji darbai buvo nutraukti. Po It was intended to name the monetary unit muðtinis. In August 1919,
Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes 37

T. Kosciuðkos sukilimo
laikø pinigai
to dar ne kartà buvo gráþta prie pinigø klausimo, svarstytas net Suo- the artist Antanas Þmuidzinavièius presented banknote designs to the
mijos, Estijos, Latvijos ir Lietuvos bendros valiutos projektas, bet tik Cabinet of Ministers. However, because of the fears that the distrust of
1922 m., sustiprëjus Lietuvos politinei ir ekonominei padëèiai, buvo the public in money, inherited from the years of wars and occupations,
imtasi konkreèiø priemoniø. Seimo Ekonominës komisijos siûlymu may harm the new Lithuanian currency and due to currency produc-
nacionaliná piniginá vienetà nutarta pavadinti litu, o jo ðimtàjà dalá tion problems the preparatory work was discontinued. It was only in
centu. Pagal dailininko Adomo Varno parengtus projektus Prahos 1922 that actual action was taken, when the economic and political
A. Hasës spaustuvë pinigus sutiko pagaminti per tris mënesius. Kas- situation in Lithuania had improved. Following the proposal of the
dien nuvertëjantis auksinas vertë skubëti, todël, kol Prahoje bus spaus- Seimas Economic Commission it was decided to name the national
dinami tikrieji banknotai, buvo nutarta iðleisti á apyvartà laikinuosius monetary unit litas, and one-hundredth of the litas was named centas.
banknotus. Jie per tris savaites buvo atspausdinti O. Elsnerio spaustu- The first series of the Lithuanian currency contained only paper
Money of the times of the vëje Berlyne, suprojektavus juos ið turimø ornamentø rinkiniø bei notes from 1 centas to 100 litas. With time the banknotes of those
T. Koúciuszko-led uprising priderinus lietuviðkus tekstus ir Vytá. 1922 m. spalio 2 d. laikinieji series, in particular those of high denominations, were replaced by
38 Lietuvos banknotø kûrimo bruoþai

T. Kosciuðkos sukilimo
laikø pinigai
pinigai iðleisti á apyvartà, tø paèiø metø gruodþio mënesá á Lietuvos notes that were better protected and had a more appealing design. In
þmoniø rankas atiduoti ir tikrøjø litø banknotai. 1924, a tender was announced to design 500 and 1 000 litas banknotes.
Pirmøjø lietuviðkø pinigø laidà sudarë vien popieriniai banknotai The winners were Vilius Jomantas for the 500 litas banknote design
nuo 1 cento iki 100 litø. Laikui bëgant, ðios laidos banknotai, ypaè and Adomas Galdikas for 1 000. The banknotes were printed by the
didþiøjø nominalø, buvo keièiami saugesniais ir graþesnio dizaino. British printing company Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co Ltd. Later, the
1924 m. paskelbtas konkursas 500 ir 1 000 litø banknotø projektams same company printed all Lithuanian banknotes. In 1927, Antanas
sukurti. Já laimëjo dailininkai Vilius Jomantas (500 Lt) ir Adomas Þmuidzinavièius prepared a new design of the 10 litas note, and other
Galdikas (1 000 Lt). Pinigus atspausdino Anglijos spaustuvë Bradbu- banknotes of a new design created by Adomas Galdikas were also
ry, Wilkinson & Co Ltd. Vëliau visus lietuviðkus banknotus gamino issued into circulation: 50 and 100 litas in 1928, 5 litas in 1929 and
tik ði spaustuvë. 1927 m. A. Þmuidzinavièius parengë naujà 10 litø 20 litas in 1930. The new 10 litas banknote of 1938 series designed
banknoto projektà, 1928 m. iðleisti naujo pavyzdþio A. Galdiko su- by the same artist was also produced, yet it was never issued into Money of the times of the
kurti 50 ir 100 litø, 1929 m. 5 litø, 1930 m. 20 litø banknotai. circulation. T. Koúciuszko-led uprising

Pirmojo pasaulinio karo
vokieèiø okupacinës
valdþios ostrubliai
Ostroubles of German
occupation authorities
during World War I

during World War I

during World War I

valdþios ostmarkës
Ostmarks of German
during World War I

valdþios ostmarkës
Ostmarks of German
during World War I

Nepriklausomos Lietuvos
laikinieji litai
Provisional litas of
independent Lithuania

Tikrinami laikinieji
banknotai
1922 m. laidos banknotai.

Dail. A. Varnas
Provisional litas banknotes

are checked
Banknotes of 1922.
Design by A. Varnas

Dail. A. Varnas
Banknotes of 1922.
Design by A. Varnas

Dail. A. Varnas
Banknotes of 1922.
Design by A. Varnas

Dail. A. Varnas
Banknotes of 1922.
Design by A. Varnas

1924 m. laidos 500 litø
banknotas.
Dail. V. Jomantas
500 litas banknote of

1924. Design by
V. Jomantas

1924 m. laidos
1 000 litø banknotas.
Dail. A. Galdikas
1 000 litas banknote

of 1924.
Design by A. Galdikas

1927 m. laidos
10 litø banknotas.
Dail. A. Þmuidzinavièius
1928 m. laidos
50 litø banknotas.
Dail. A. Galdikas
10 litas banknote of 1927.

Design by
A. Þmuidzinavièius

Design by
A. Galdikas

1928 m. laidos
100 litø banknotas.
Dail. A. Galdikas
100 litas banknote

of 1928.

1929 m. laidos
5 litø banknotas.
Dail. A. Galdikas
1930 m. laidos
20 litø banknotas.
Dail. A. Galdikas



Neiðleistas á apyvartà
1938 m. laidos 10 litø
banknotas.
Dail. A. Galdikas
10 litas banknote of 1938,

never put into circulation.

Konkurse premijuoti
banknotø eskizai.
Dail. A. Mandeika
1940 m. Lietuvà okupavus Tarybø Sàjungai, nutrûko nepilnus du The existence of the litas for nearly 20 years was terminated in 1940,
deðimtmeèius gyvavusio lito egzistavimas. Karø ir okupacijø sumaiðtyje when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania. Throughout the chaos of
Lietuvos þmonës su nostalgija prisimindavo tvirtà tarpukario valiutà, wars and occupations the people of Lithuania retained the nostalgia for
daugelis iðsaugojo ðiuos pinigus kaip brangø ramaus gyvenimo prisimi- the stable interwar currency; many of them preserved coins and
nimà. Prieðkario Lietuvos dailininkø kûrybos bruoþø galima pastebëti banknotes as a cherished memory of the peaceful life. Some artistic
ir pirmuose atgimstanèios Lietuvos dailininkø pinigø projektuose. features used by the Lithuanian pre-war artists can be traced in the first
Nuo pat Atgimimo pradþios nedràsiai, o vëliau vis ryþtingiau buvo currency designs done by the artists in the period of Lithuanian rebirth.
kalbama apie lietuviðkus pinigus. Svarstant ekonominio savarankiðku- From the very start of the national revival movement the necessity
mo TSRS sudëtyje problemas, tokios mintys per daug netrikdë oficia- of introducing Lithuanian currency was discussed, timidly at first, but
lios ávykiø tëkmës ir prie to pripratino visuomenæ bei tuometinius Lie- later these discussions acquired a more determined nature. As the con-
tuvos vadovus. sideration of the problems of economic sovereignty within the USSR
1989 m. rugsëjo 11 d. Vilniuje bûrelis mokslininkø, bankininkø ir went on, such ideas did not disturb too much the official flow of events,
dailininkø susirinko Istorijos institute ir aptarë lietuviðkø pinigø pro- yet they got the public and the Lithuanian leaders of the time accus-
jektavimo gaires. Netrukus tuo reikalu sukviestame dailininkø susirin- tomed to them.
kime paskelbta nacionaliniø pinigø idëja sulaukë pritarimo, taèiau, kai On September 11, 1989 a group of scholars, bankers and artists
reikëjo imtis specifinio, didelës kantrybës, daug laiko reikalaujanèio ir gathered at the Institute of History in Vilnius and discussed the outline
su pavojais susijusio darbo, entuziastø atsirado nedaug. Norint paska- of designing the Lithuanian currency. An extra meeting of artists was
tinti ir padràsinti potencialius autorius, buvo nutarta organizuoti lietu- arranged soon afterwards and the publicly announced idea of the na-
viðkø pinigø projektø konkursà. tional currency met their approval. However, there were not so many
Naujus pinigus pradëta kurti neturint aiðkaus supratimo, kaip tai enthusiasts when the time came to embark on a very specific, patience-
reikëtø daryti. Niekas nei organizatoriai, nei dailininkai neþinojo, requiring, time-consuming and even dangerous task. In order to en-
nuo ko pradëti, kaip pinigai turi atrodyti, kaip jie turi bûti parengti courage potential authors it was decided to organize a tender for de-
gamybai, kur bus spausdinami. Dabar ne paslaptis, kad visas Lietuvos signing the Lithuanian currency.
tarpukario palikimas buvo priimamas be kritikos, profesionaliai neási- The creation of the new currency started without clear understand-
gilinant, nelyginant su toli per 50 metø nuþengusio pasaulio laimëji- ing how it should be done. No one, neither the organizers, nor artists
mais, uþmirðtant, kad mûsø visuomenë tapo informaciniø technologijø knew what to start with, what the money should look like, how the
visuomene. Jauni dailininkai neturëjo galimybës þinoti, kaip projek- designs had to be prepared for production and where the currency would
tuojami ir spausdinami uþsienio ðaliø pinigai, koks jø gamybos proce- be printed. It is no secret now that everything inherited from the inter-
sas. Tarybiniø pinigø gamyba buvo áslaptinta, saugoma grësmingojo war Lithuania used to be accepted without any criticism and profes-
Award-winning banknote
KGB. Pagaliau tada niekam net á galvà neatëjo mintis tuo domëtis, ið sional analysis, without making comparisons with the achievements of sketches.
anksto buvo þinoma, kad tai pavojinga. the world made during the period of fifty years and without taking into Design by A. Mandeika

Konkurse premijuoti
banknotø eskizai.
Dail. A. Mandeika
Sàjûdþiui ásisiûbuojant, visuomenë tapo ryþtingesnë ir dràsesnë. account the fact that this was already an information technology soci-
1989 m. gruodþio 13 d. Lietuvos TSR kultûros ministras D. Trinkû- ety. Young artists had no opportunities to learn how foreign currencies
nas ir TSRS valstybinio banko Lietuvos respublikinio banko pirminin- were designed and printed, and what printing processes were used in
kas Z. Þilevièius paskelbë pinigø projektø rengimo konkursà. Sàlygose banknote production. Production of the Soviet currency was a secret
buvo nurodyta: Autoriai pateikia piniginiø bilietø (litø) ir monetø (cen- protected by the menacing KGB. Moreover, no one had an idea to
tø) bendrà meninæ koncepcijà. Litams bendrà visø nominalø spalvi- show interest in the subject, as everybody knew in advance that this was
nio sprendimo, grafinio apipavidalinimo, vandens þenklø, skaitmenø dangerous.
komponavimo sistemà. Buvo reikalaujama nominalo skaièiø visuose With the spread of the Sàjûdis movement people became more reso-
keturiuose averso kampuose, áraðo Uþ banknoto padirbimà baudþia- lute and courageous. On December 13, 1989, a tender was announced
ma ástatyme numatyta tvarka, istoriniø asmenø portretø. Rekomen- by the Minister of Culture of the Soviet Republic of Lithuania Dainius
duota reverse abiejuose banknoto kraðtuose, o didelës vertës (50 ir Trinkûnas and the Governor of the Lithuanian Republic Office of the
100 Lt) dar ir apaèioje ties viduriu raðyti banknoto vertæ skaièiais, USSR State Bank Zenonas Þilevièius for drafting designs of the na-
taip pat rekomenduota naudoti lietuviø tautinës simbolikos þenklus, tional currency. The terms and conditions of the tender contained the
þymiø istorijos, architektûros paminklø, vietoviø ir kitus atvaizdus. following requirements: Authors shall present a general artistic con-
Dailininkai á atkuriamos Lietuvos pinigus þiûrëjo kaip á tarpukario ception of monetary bills (litas) and coins (centas). A common solution
litø tàsà ir ekonominiu, ir meniniu aspektu. Konkursui pateiktuose pro- for colours, graphic design, watermarks and numerals shall be presented
jektuose buvo aiðkiai pastebima tendencija sekti senaisiais lietuviðkais, o for all denominations of litas banknotes. It was required that banknotes
kai kur ir rusiðkais cariniais bei tarybiniais banknotais. Darbus puo- should have denomination numerals in all four corners on the front,
ðë ámantrûs kartuðai, manieringi ðriftai, buvo gausu liaudiðkø audiniø ir the inscription Counterfeiting of banknotes is punished by law and
juostø ornamentø, mediniø verpsèiø, langø papuoðimø fragmentø. Þiuri portraits of historical personalities. It was recommended that the de-
konkursui pateiktus darbus vertino gana skeptiðkai, priekaiðtavo dël kom- nomination value in words should be inscribed on both sides of the
pozicijos archaiðkumo, modernesnio poþiûrio stokos. Nuspræsta pir- back, and for the notes of high denominations (50 and 100) the de-
mos premijos neskirti. Dvi antros buvo paskirtos: uþ banknotø projek- nomination numeral should be additionally placed in the centre near
tus dailininkams Alvydui Mandeikai ir Liudvikui Pociui, uþ mone- the bottom edge of the note. Potential authors were also urged to use
tas Petrui Henrikui Garðkai ir dvi treèios uþ monetas Jolantai Bal- Lithuanian national symbols, images of famous architectural monu-
kevièienei ir Antanui Þukauskui. Antros premijos laimëtojas jauniau- ments, places and other similar drawings.
sias konkurso dalyvis A. Mandeika, Vilniaus dailës akademijos Tapy- Artists regarded the currency of the reviving Lithuania as a continu-
bos katedros I kurso studentas visus savo banknotus papuoðë LDK ation of the interwar litas in both the economic and artistic sense. The
valdovø imaginaciniais portretais. Tai portretai, sukurti dailininko, designs showed an obvious tendency of following old Lithuanian, in
sketches. niekada nemaèiusio paties portretuojamojo, o vadovaujantis vien fan- some cases even Russian, czarist as well as Soviet, banknotes. The de-
Design by A. Mandeika tazija ir turimomis þiniomis apie tà laikotarpá. Kartais tokie portretai signs contained intricate cartouches, pretentious lettering, abundant

Konkurse premijuoti
banknotø eskizai.
Dail. L. Pocius
bûdavo sukuriami po valdovo mirties praëjus net keliems ðimtmeèiams. ornamentation traditionally used in weaving national cloths and sashes,
Dauguma LDK kunigaikðèiø portretø buvo paskelbta XVI a. Aleksandro and fragments of window decorations. The jury was rather sceptical in
Gvagninio kronikoje, o kai kurie ið jø Vytauto Didþiojo, Kæstuèio assessing the presented designs; it reproached the artists for archaic com-
yra XIXXX a. dailininkø kûrybos vaisius. Taèiau ðie portretai yra taip positions and absence of a more modern approach. It was decided that
áaugæ á lietuvio sàmonæ, kad niekas ir nepaþintø kitokio, pvz., Gedimi- none of the submitted designs would be awarded the first prize. The
no. A. Mandeika valdovø portretus iðdëstë chronologiðkai. Maþiausio other prizes were awarded as follows: two second prizes to Alvydas
nominalo banknotà papuoðë seniausiai Lietuvà valdæs karalius Mindau- Mandeika and Liudvikas Pocius for banknote designs and to Petras
gas, o didesniø nominalø banknotai buvo skirti vëliau valdþiusiesiems. Henrikas Garðka for coin designs, and two third prizes to Jolanta
Banknotø reversuose A. Mandeika vaizdavo Lietuvos architektûros Balkevièienë and Antanas Þukauskas for coins. The second-prize win-
ir istorijos paminklus: Ðv. Onos ir Bernardinø baþnyèias, net dviejuose ner Mandeika, a first-year student at the Painting Department of Vilnius
banknotuose Trakø pilá bei jos fragmentus, Tris kryþius, J. Zikaro Academy of Fine Arts, decorated all his banknotes with the imaginary
skulptûrà Laisvë ir kt. Autorius neieðkojo teminio ryðio tarp averso ir portraits of the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Mandeika
reverso, kiekviena banknoto pusë buvo komponuojama visiðkai sava- arranged the portraits of the rulers in a chronological sequence. The
rankiðkai, taèiau visus banknotø aversus siejo viena bendra komponavi- lowest-denomination note featured Mindaugas, the king who was the
mo schema, o reversus kita. first to rule Lithuania, while banknotes of higher denominations were
Dar mokydamasis vidurinëje mokykloje, A. Mandeika kolekciona- dedicated to subsequent rulers.
vo pinigus, juos pieðë savo malonumui ir buvo gerai susipaþinæs su lie- The back sides of the notes designed by Mandeika showed architec-
tuviðkais tarpukario banknotais. Jo projektuose aiðkiai pastebima XX a. tural and historical monuments: the churches of St Anne and the
treèià deðimtmetá A. Varno sukurtø banknotø átaka pjaustinëtø me- Bernardines, Trakai Castle and its fragments (on two notes), the Three
diniø ornamentø gausa, ámantrûs ðriftai ir Vyèio skydo formos, tekstø Crosses, the sculpture Liberty by Juozas Zikaras, etc. The author did
bei skaièiø iðdëstymas parodo mokytojà. not seek to disclose a thematic relation between the subjects on the
Po konkurso sudarytoje pinigø projektavimo grupëje A. Mandeikai front and back of the note: each side was composed separately, yet the
buvo pavesta sukurti 10 litø banknotà su Vydûnu ir Klaipëdos moty- fronts of the notes were unified by one layout and the backs by another.
vais. Jaunam dailininkui darbas nesisekë, matyt, trûko profesiniø ágû- A currency design team was formed upon the completion of the
dþiø, be to, buvo sunku konkuruoti su águdusiais pieðëjais. Pagaliau tender and Mandeika was contracted to design the 10 litas banknote
temos buvo atsisakyta (vëliau ðià temà ágyvendino dailininkas Rytis Va- with the portrait of Vydûnas and motifs of Klaipeda. The young artist
lantinas 200 Lt banknote). was not successful in accomplishing the task, probably, due to insuffi-
Ðiek tiek modernesni buvo kito autoriaus, premijuoto antra premi- cient professional skills; in addition, he found it difficult to compete
ja, projektai. Tai þinomo vitraþisto L. Pociaus banknotø serija. Daili- with experienced drawers. Finally, the topic of the note was rejected (it
ninkas rëmësi kur kas ilgesnio Lietuvos istorijos laikotarpio asmenybë- was later implemented in the 200 litas banknote designed by the artist sketches.
mis. Maþiausio nominalo 1 lito averse jis atvaizdavo Steponà Dariø ir Rytis Valantinas). Design by L. Pocius

Konkurse premijuoti
banknotø eskizai.
Dail. L. Pocius
Stasá Girënà, reverse liûdinèià, tautiniais rûbais apsirengusià moterá. The designs of the other second-prize winner were slightly more
3 litø aversà papuoðë Vinco Kudirkos portretas, o Kryþiø kalnà ir Rû- contemporary. It was a series of banknotes designed by the prominent
pintojëlá reverse autorius sakësi skyræs okupacijø bei tremties aukoms stained-glass artist Liudvikas Pocius. He based the designs on the per-
pagerbti. 5 litø averse atvaizduotas pirmasis Vilniaus universiteto rekto- sonalities selected from a much wider period in the history of
rius, garsus XVI a. teologas ir pamokslininkas Petras Skarga, jo rever- Lithuania. The front of the lowest-denomination banknote, 1 litas, car-
se Didysis universiteto kiemas su Ðv. Jonø baþnyèios fasadu. 10 litø ried the portraits of Steponas Darius and Stasys Girënas and the reverse
aversà su Mikalojum Konstantinu Èiurlioniu reverse palydëjo jo pa- showed a sorrowful woman dressed in a national costume. The front of
veikslo Miestas motyvai. Laurynas Gucevièius ir Vilniaus Katedra vaiz- the 3 litas note was decorated with the portrait of Vincas Kudirka, while
duojami 50 litø banknote, o 100 litø banknote Vytauto Didþiojo the Hill of Crosses and a wooden statuette of Pensive Christ on the
portretas ir Trakø pilis. Taigi L. Pociaus projektuose gana aiðkus loginis back were dedicated, according to the author, to the victims of occupa-
ir teminis ryðys tarp averso ir reverso. Jo pasirinkti svarbûs Lietuvos tions and deportations. The 50 litas banknote contained the portrait of
istorijos ávykiai, asmenybës ir objektai vëliau buvo pakartoti kitø auto- Laurynas Gucevièius and the picture of Vilnius Cathedral, and the 100
riø sukurtuose banknotuose. litas note the portrait of Vytautas the Great and a drawing of Trakai
L. Pocius neliko dirbti projektavimo grupëje. Ið pradþiø jis projekta- Castle. Thus, a plain logical and topical relationship between the front
vo 2 litø banknotà su Vytauto Didþiojo portretu bei Trakø pilimi. Vë- and back sides of the notes designed by Pocius was evident. The events,
liau nutarta ðiame banknote atvaizduoti kunigaikðtienæ Birutæ, dar vë- personalities and objects of great importance in the history of Lithuania
liau merginà senoviniais drabuþiais ir papuoðalais, o galiausiai, laiki- chosen by the artist were later repeated in the banknotes designed by
nai atsisakius maþøjø nominalø banknotø, dailininkas neteko temos. other authors.
Jo nupieðtas iðraiðkingas Vytauto Didþiojo portretas nëra visiðkai origi- Pocius did not stay with the currency design team. At first he was
nalus darbas, taèiau profesionalus pieðinys, verþli, iðraiðkinga valdovo designing the 2 litas banknote with the portrait of Vytautas the Great
poza gerai perteikia populiaraus kunigaikðèio ávaizdá. Portretas nepa- and Trakai Castle. Later on it was decided to represent Duchess Birutë
puoðë banknoto, bet bûtø gaila, jei pieðinys sudûlëtø autoriaus stalèiu- on that note and, some time later, a girl wearing ancient clothes and
je jis galëtø praturtinti negausià, o daþnai ir neprofesionalià mûsø jewellery. Finally it was decided to temporarily abandon banknotes of
valdovø imaginaciniø portretø galerijà. low denominations and the artist lost the topic. The expressive portrait
Konkurso rezultatai buvo vieðai paskelbti, premijuotø projektø repro- of Vytautas the Great painted by Pocius was not an absolutely original
dukcijos atspausdintos Ðvyturio þurnale. 1990 m. balandþio mën. vie- piece of work, however the skilfully made portrait and the eloquent
toje konkurso sàlygose numatyto antro etapo buvo organizuotos daili- posture of the ruler well rendered the image of the popular Grand Duke.
ninkø ir konsultantø grupës, nuspræsta per keturis mënesius galutinai The results of the tender were publicly announced and copies of the
parengti pinigø projektus. Á projektuotojø grupæ buvo átraukti dailinin- awarded designs were published in the Ðvyturys magazine. In April 1990,
sketches. kai J. Tolvaiðis, R. Bartkus, G. Jonaitis, A. Mandeika, L. Pocius, teams of artists and consultants were organized instead of the second
Design by L. Pocius R. Valantinas. Be konkurse premijuotø L. Pociaus ir A. Mandeikos, stage provided for in the terms and conditions of the tender with the

Konkurse premijuoti
banknotø eskizai.
Dail. L. Pocius
visi pakviestieji Vilniaus dailës akademijos Grafikos katedrà baigæ jau- intention of completing the designs within four months. The artists
ni dailininkai, pasiþymëjæ kruopðtumu, stebinæ savo kolegas juvelyrið- Justinas Tolvaiðis, Raimundas Bartkus, Giedrius Jonaitis, Alvydas
kais, didelio susikaupimo reikalaujanèiais darbais. Tik grupës vadovas Mandeika, Liudvikas Pocius and Rytis Valantinas joined the team. All
dailininkas Raimondas Miknevièius, puikus grafiniø technologijø þi- the invited members of the team, except the prize-winners of the tender
novas, buvo vyresnis. Rûpintis istorine medþiaga buvo pavesta istorikui Pocius and Mandeika, were young artists, graduates of the Department
E. Rimðai. Konsultantais pakviesti dailininkai V. Valius, A. Kaþdailis, of Graphics of Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, who had been known for
A. Þvilius, A. Gurskas, B. Leonavièius ir ðiø eiluèiø autorius. Pasitari- their meticulousness and were admired by their colleagues for their ex-
muose, kurie vykdavo gana reguliariai, dalyvaudavo Lietuvos Respubli- tremely precise works requiring immense concentration. Only the head
kos Vyriausybës vadovai K. Prunskienë ir R. Ozolas, Lietuvos banko of the team and expert in graphic technology, Raimondas Miknevièius,
valdybos pirmininkas B. Povilaitis, mokslininkai V. Merkys, A. Tyla, was slightly older. The historian Edmundas Rimða was responsible for
A. Piroèkinas ir kt. historical material. The artists Vytautas Valius, Arvydas Kaþdailis,
Posëdþiuose buvo diskutuojama dël banknotø formato, jø spalvø, Alfonsas Þvilius, Albertas Gurskas, Bronius Leonavièius and the author
nominalø. Siûlyta, kad visø banknotø plotis bûtø vienodas, o ilgis pri- of this book were invited as consultants. Government leaders Kazimiera
klausomai nuo nominalo dydþio keistøsi didëjant nominalui, jis ilgë- Prunskienë and Romualdas Ozolas, the Chairman of the Board of the
tø. Neaiðku, kodël atsisakyta ðio ádomaus pasiûlymo, gal manyta, kad Bank of Lithuania Bronius Povilaitis, scholars Vytautas Merkys, Antanas
tai apsunkins automatiná pinigø skaièiavimà ir supakavimà. Dabar jau Tyla, Arnoldas Piroèkinas and others attended regular meetings.
þinoma, kad kai kurios Vakarø Europos ðalys yra iðleidusios banknotø The Lithuanian émigré Kæstutis Lynikas, a currency production ex-
su panaðiu jø dydþio kitimu. Sekant Amerikos doleriu, apsistota prie pert from Australia staying in Lithuania at the time, was a rather active
vienodo visø nominalø banknotø dydþio. Apsisprendþiant átakos turëjo participant in the design process. He was invited to provide consulta-
ir gamybos iðlaidos vienodo formato banknotø gamyba daug pigesnë. tions to our banknote designers. Lynikas gave the first lessons on cur-
Spalvinë bûsimø banknotø gama sutapo su tarybiniø rubliø gama rency production and its security features; he insisted on the recom-
1 lito banknotà nutarta pieðti ochros, 2 litø þalios, 5 litø mëlynos mendation of drawing portraits as large as possible, proposed keeping
spalvos. Tokiø spalvø buvo ðiø nominalø tarybiniai rubliai. bright tints in the drawing to impede forgery. According to Lynikas, an
Gana aktyviai projektavimo procese dalyvavo iðeivis ið Lietuvos Kæs- engraved portrait was a security feature recognised worldwide.
tutis Lynikas pinigø gamybos ekspertas, gyvenæs Australijoje, tuomet Lynikas criticised the prepared designs, explained that complicated
vieðëjæs Lietuvoje. Jis buvo pakviestas konsultuoti mûsø banknotø kû- ornaments were no obstacle for counterfeiters nowadays, that in small
rëjus. K. Lynikas davë pirmàsias pamokas apie pinigø gamybà, jø ap- portraits errors made by them were difficult to notice; he proposed
saugos priemones, primygtinai rekomendavo pieðti kiek ámanoma di- enlarging portraits and giving up excessive ornamentation. He advised
desnius portretus, siûlë pieðinyje iðlaikyti ðviesius tonus, apsunkinan- avoiding vertical lines and vertically lined planes as in the process of
èius klastotojø darbà. Graviruotas portretas, pasak K. Lyniko, yra pa- printing inks wiped away in this direction from the printing plates sketches.
saulyje pripaþinta apsaugos priemonë. Jis net pateikë toká pavyzdá: susi- might damage the prints. He said that a tonal drawing prepared by an Design by L. Pocius

Pjovëja. 1844 m.
Dail. K. Ruseckas
Vandenþenklio projektas
Pjovëjos fragmentas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
The Reaper by
K. Ruseckas, 1844
Watermark design as a
detail from The Reaper.
Design by G. Jonaitis

Vandenþenklio projektas
Vytauto Didþiojo
portretas.
Dail. R. Valantinas
Watermark
design as the portrait
of Vytautas the Great.
Design by R. Valantinas

Banknotø projektø eskizai.
Dail. R. Valantinas
Sketches for banknote

designs by R. Valantinas

paþinai su mergina, po kurio laiko eini á pasimatymà su ja ir didelëje artist should be turned into a linear one under the supervision of the
minioje ið karto jà pastebi. Taip ir pinigø vartotojai kartà ásidëmëjæ author. The advice and encouragement of the recognised expert repre-
banknoto portretà, nesunkiai pastebi klastotojø klaidas. sented significant support for banknote designers making the first steps
K. Lynikas kritikavo parengtus projektus, aiðkino, kad ðiandien su- in this area. It is a pity Lynikas services were later relinquished. He left
dëtingi ornamentai padirbinëtojams jau nëra kliûtis, kad maþuose portre- for Australia to come back only after an outbreak of the scandal about
tuose sunkiai pastebimos klastotojø daromos klaidos, siûlë iðdidinti note printing with the United States Banknote Corporation (USBC)
portretus ir atsisakyti perdëto ornamentavimo. Jis patarë vengti vertika- and participated in a panel of experts which assessed the notes pro-
liø linijø ir jomis subrûkðniuotø plokðtumø, nes spausdinimo metu ðia duced.
kryptimi nuo spaudos formos nuvalomi daþai gali sugadinti atspaudus. In order to gain experience, catalogues of banknotes of different
Jis sakë, kad dailininkø parengtas toninis pieðinys turi bûti paverèiamas countries of the world were studied and a scheme for the layout of
linijiniu paèiam autoriui priþiûrint. Pripaþinto specialisto patarimai ir low and high denomination groups was established during the meet-
padràsinimas buvo didelë parama ðioje srityje pirmus þingsnius þen- ings of the currency design team. At the beginning, the team stuck to
giantiems banknotø dizaino autoriams. Gaila, vëliau K. Lyniko paslau- the style of the pre-war Lithuanian money, characterised by small
gø buvo atsisakyta. Jis iðvyko á Australijà, o gráþo tik kilus skandalui dël portraits surrounded by cartouches and ornaments, mostly light let-
pinigø spausdinimo United States Banknote Corporation (USBC) da- tering against a darker background, etc. Historians and linguists de-
lyvavo ekspertø komisijoje, vertinusioje pagamintus banknotus. cided whose portraits would be depicted on the front of banknotes
Stengiantis pasisemti patirties, pinigø projektavimo grupës susirin- and what subjects would match them on the back. Given the fact that
kimuose buvo studijuojami pasaulio ðaliø banknotø katalogai, nustaty- no authentic portraits of the rulers of the self-dependent Grand Duchy
ta maþø ir dideliø nominalø grupiø komponavimo schema. Ið pradþiø of Lithuania were available, the decision was taken to give up doubt-
laikytasi prieðkarinës Lietuvos pinigø stiliaus, kuriam buvo bûdingi ne- ful imaginary portraits and settle on the images of personalities of the
dideli portretai, apsupti kartuðø ir ornamentø, daugiausia ðviesûs ðriftai 19th century national rebirth movement and Lithuanian persons of
tamsesniame fone ir kt. Istorikai ir kalbininkai nurodë, kieno portretai merit of early 20th century. Only one woman appeared on the list of
bus vaizduojami banknotø averse ir kokios temos juos lydës reverse. personalities selected to decorate the banknote of the lowest denomina-
Atsiþvelgiant á tai, kad nëra autentiðkø savarankiðkos LDK valdovø tion. This was done after the list of personalities had been completed,
portretø, buvo nutarta atsisakyti abejotinø imaginaciniø portretø ir ap- in response to Lynikas remark that there was not a single woman on
sistota prie XIX a. tautinio atgimimo asmenybiø bei XX a. pradþios the list. He said that by issuing Lithuanian banknotes carrying male
Lietuvai nusipelniusiø þmoniø atvaizdø. Á pasirinktø asmenybiø sàraðà portraits only we would raise indignation among the feminist move-
pateko tik viena moteris, ji papuoðë maþiausio nominalo banknotà. Tai ment all over the world, therefore including the portrait of at least one
buvo padaryta jau numaèius asmenybiø sàraðà, po K. Lyniko pastabos, outstanding Lithuanian female was a must. The choice fell on the writer
kad jame nëra moterø. Jis sakë, kad, iðleidæ lietuviðkus banknotus tik su Þemaitë and the back featured a small church in Palûðë. Only later was
vyrø portretais, sukelsime viso pasaulio feministinio judëjimo pasipik- it realised that the image on the back of the note and the atheist Þemaitë
tinimà, todël bûtina ádëti bent vienos þymios Lietuvos moters portretà. were an absolute mismatch, but it was loo late.
Buvo pasirinkta raðytoja Þemaitë, reverse Palûðës baþnytëlë. Tik vë- With respect to the back of each note, the suggestion was to opt
liau susigriebta, kad ateistei Þemaitei visiðkai netinka su religija susijæs for images closely relating to the personality portrayed on the front,
reverso vaizdas, bet jau buvo per vëlu. such as architectural and historical monuments, landscapes, and mo-
Buvo siûloma visø banknotø reversuose pasirinkti su averso asme- tifs of works of art. Unfortunately, in some of the banknotes the logi-
nybe glaudþiai susijusius vaizdus architektûros ar istorijos paminklus, cal link between both sides has remained open to doubt.
peizaþus, dailës kûriniø motyvus. Deja, kai kuriø banknotø abiejø pu- All artists worked separately, each in their own studios. When they
siø loginis ryðys kelia abejoniø. brought their designs for discussion, it turned out that the range of
Visi dailininkai dirbo atskirai, kiekvienas savo studijoje. Atneðus pro- compositions, styles, fonts and ornaments varied greatly. Ideally,
jektus á aptarimà, paaiðkëjo didelë kompozicijos, stiliø, ðriftø ir orna- banknotes of the same series should be drawn by one author, which
mentø ávairovë. Geriausia, kai vienos laidos banknotus pieðia vienas allows maintaining the general style and the layout scheme. In
autorius taip iðlaikoma bendra stilistika ir komponavimo schema. Lie- Lithuania, though, this was not possible: firstly, there was no hope for
tuvoje ðis atvejis netiko: pirmiausia, neliko jokios vilties, kad vienas þmo- one person to draw such a number of banknote denominations over
gus per planuotà trumpà laikà galëtø nupieðti tiek nominalø banknotø, the established short period; secondly, no experienced artist was avail-
antra, nebuvo tokio patyrusio dailininko, kuriam nedvejojant bûtø gali- able who could have been entrusted without hesitation with this work
ma patikëti didþiulës atsakomybës, nepaprasto kruopðtumo ir specifi- requiring extreme responsibility, extraordinary diligence, and specific
niø ágûdþiø bei þiniø reikalaujantá darbà. skills and knowledge.

Banknotø komponavimo
schema
Giljoðo projekto
fragmentas.
Dail. R. Miknevièius
Banknote layout scheme
Detail of a guilloche.
Design by R. Miknevièius

1 lito banknoto fragmento
grafinio pieðinio eskizas.
Sketch for the graphic

design of a detail from
the 1 litas banknote.

Lietuviðki banknotai su
uþsienio banknotø
spaustuvës specialistø
siûlomais ornamentais
Lithuanian banknotes
with ornaments proposed
by the experts of a foreign
banknote printing
company

Lietuviðki banknotai su
uþsienio banknotø
siûlomais ornamentais
Lithuanian banknotes
with ornaments proposed
by the experts of a foreign
banknote printing
company

Aptarinëjant projektus, buvo ieðkoma iðraiðkingesniø, modernesniø In discussing the designs, more expressive and modern forms and
formø, bendros maþøjø ir didþiøjø nominalø grupiø stilistikos. Lietu- styles common for low and high denomination were sought. Bank of
vos banko atstovai dailininkams perdavë banknotus gaminanèiø uþsie- Lithuania representatives acquainted the designers with the require-
nio spaustuviø, su kuriomis buvo vedamos derybos, keliamus reikalavi- ments of the foreign banknote making companies negotiated with.
mus. Buvo gautas nurodymas deðimt kartø iðdidinti banknotø projek- The artists were instructed to enlarge 10 times their banknote designs
tus ir teptuku imituoti iðgraviruotø portretø linijas. Manyta, kad tokiu and to imitate with the brush the lines in the engraved portraits. It
bûdu bus apeitas labai brangus ir daug laiko reikalaujantis portreto gra- was believed that this would help avoid the very expensive and time-
viravimas, be to, gamyba bus pigesnë. Dalis autoriø darbus baigë, kiti consuming portrait engraving and would make production cheaper.
nesuspëjo sumanymo buvo atsisakyta. Part of the authors completed their work, while others failed to finish
Pinigø tematika formavosi palengva darbo metu. Aptarinëjant eski- it in time and the idea was given up.
zus, teko keisti vienà ar kità motyvà. Kai kuriø banknotø temos ir mo- The themes of notes emerged little by little during the work. Dis-
tyvai keitësi po kelis kartus. Dailininkø grupë dirbo apie metus, vëliau, cussions of the sketches made change one motif or another. The themes
ið grupës iðëjus A. Mandeikai ir L. Pociui, ið likusiøjø kiekvienas paren- and motifs of some banknotes changed several times. The team of
gë bent po vienà banknotà. 1990 m. liepos 31 d. litø projektai pristatyti artists worked for about one year. Later, when Mandeika and Pocius
Aukðèiausiosios Tarybos Prezidiumui ir parodytas trumpas reportaþas left, each of the remaining artists designed at least one banknote. On
LTV Panoramoje. 31 July 1990, the litas designs were presented to the Presidium of the
Jau rengiant projektus, pradëta rûpintis banknotø gamyba. Ið pra- Supreme Council and a short news report was shown on the Pano-
dþiø galvota susitarti su artimiausiomis kaimynëmis Baltijos respubli- rama news show on the Lithuanian TV.
komis ir vienoje ið jø ásteigti pinigø spaustuvæ. Paaiðkëjus, kad tai Banknote production was being considered during the design pro-
kainuotø labai brangiai, tos minties atsisakyta ir pradëta ieðkoti galimy- cess. The original idea was to agree with the closest neighbours, the
biø uþsienyje. Tartasi su Vokietijos, Ðveicarijos ir Prancûzijos banknotø Baltic States, on establishing a banknote printing house in one of
spaustuvëmis. Pasirinkta Franois Charles Oberthur, ir dailininkai them. When it turned out that this would cost too much, the idea
R. Bartkus bei G. Jonaitis drauge su banko darbuotojais kelioms die- was given up and possibilities were explored abroad. Negotiations were
noms iðvyko á Prancûzijà. Pinigø gamybos procesas prasidëjo, taèiau held with German, Swiss and French banknote production compa-
tuoj nutrûko. Prancûzijos bankas dël susidariusios politinës padëties, nies. The choice was made on the Franois Charles Oberthur and the
greièiausiai TSRS vyriausybës spaudþiamas, atsisakë kredituoti banknotø designers Rimvydas Bartkus and Giedrius Jonaitis left for France to-
spausdinimà. Tolesnës derybos ieðkant bûdø gauti paskolà buvo nesëk- gether with Bank of Lithuania staff for a few days visit. The process
mingos. Spaustuvë darbus sustabdë, mûsø atstovai gráþo namo, o pro- of banknote production started but was soon disrupted. Owing to the
jektai liko. Lietuvos bankui jie gràþinti tik 1997 m. Ðiuo metu projektai political situation, most likely under the pressure of the USSR Gov-
saugomi Lietuvos banko muziejuje. ernment, a French bank refused to credit the printing of the notes.
Reikia pasakyti, kad darbai, kuriuos spaustuvë suspëjo padaryti, la- Further negotiations in search for a credit were unsuccessful. The print-
bai nuvylë projektø autorius. Gauti bandomieji atspaudai tiesiog iðgàs- ing house stopped its work and our representatives returned home,
dino dailininkus. Portretai buvo perpieðti, nepanaðûs á Lietuvoje taip while the designs remained in France.
gerai paþástamus þmones, giljoðo ornamentai neestetiðki. In order to lower the cost of production, a decision was taken to
Siekiant sumaþinti gamybos iðlaidas, nuspræsta popieriø visiems produce paper with the same watermark for all notes. Some authors
banknotams gaminti su vienodu vandenþenkliu. Kai kurie autoriai siû- suggested using motifs from Lithuanian works of art, such as the head
lë naudoti Lietuvos dailës kûriniø motyvus skulptûrinæ galvutæ ið of a sculpture at St. Peter and Pauls Church or a fragment from The
Ðv. Petro ir Povilo baþnyèios ar dailininko Kanuto Rusecko Pjovëjos Reaper by Kanutas Ruseckas, others proposed imaginary portraits of
fragmentà, kiti imaginacinius kunigaikðèio Vytauto Didþiojo ar kara- Grand Duke Vytautas the Great or King Mindaugas. The state em-
liaus Mindaugo portretus. Vandenþenkliu buvo pasirinktas valstybës blem, the Vytis with Gediminas Columns underneath was finally cho-
herbas Vytis su po juo esanèiais Gediminaièiø stulpais. sen for the watermark.
Lietuvos þiniasklaidoje buvo pasirodæ publikacijø apie nuolatiná KGB A few reports about the constant attention of the KGB towards
dëmesá mûsø pinigø gamybos organizatoriams ir banknotø dailinin- the organisers of production of our own currency and banknote de-
kams. Maskva neakivaizdþiai dalyvavo derybose su banknotø spaustu- signers appeared in Lithuanian media. Moscow lingered behind the
vëmis, sekë kiekvienà atsikurianèios Lietuvos þingsná. Konkursas buvo scenes in negotiations with banknote companies, following every step
atviras, susikûrusi pinigø projektavimo grupë taip pat dirbo nesislaps- of Lithuania in rebirth. The tender was open; the team of currency
tydama, nors kartais þmonës pastebëdavo esà sekami. Ðalies vadovybë designers worked in the open as well, although sometimes the people
baiminosi, kad parengti projektai gali bûti atimti ir sunaikinti, tuo atve- noticed being followed. National authorities feared the ready designs

Banknotø projektø eskizai.
Dail. Ð. Leonavièius
Sketches for banknote.

Design by Ð. Leonavièius

Uþsienio banknotø
siûlomi lietuviðkø
banknotø komponavimo
eskizai
Sketches of composition
for Lithuanian banknotes
proposed by the experts of
a foreign banknote
printing company

ju Lietuva liktø be galimybës pasigaminti savus pinigus. Buvo nutarta could be confiscated and destroyed, in which case Lithuania would
kurti atsarginius banknotø projektus ir kreiptasi á jaunà dailininkà gra- have been deprived of the possibility of producing its own currency.
fikà Ðarûnà Leonavièiø, kad ðis nupieðtø banknotà, pagal kurá bûtø ga- The decision was to create reserve designs and Ðarûnas Leonavièius, a
lima sukomponuoti visø nominalø banknotus. Pageidauta, kad bankno- young graphic designer, was asked to draw a banknote according to
tø iðvaizda primintø tarpukario litus. Dailininkas sukomponavo bankno- which banknotes of all denominations could be arranged. The
tà, kuriame vyravo ornamentai. Viename banknoto kraðte nupieðë banknotes were to resemble inter-war litas notes. The designer made
ðvè. Mergelæ Marijà, o kitame Vytá. Kompozicijoje paliko erdves, vie- a banknote with ornaments prevailing. He drew only St Virgin Mary
nà vandenþenkliui Gediminaièiø stulpams ir aðtuonkampei heraldi- on one side of the banknote and Vytis on the other. On both sides of
nei þvaigþdei, o kità keièiamam nominalo skaièiui. Be to, kiekvieno the banknote he left spaces: one for the watermark, Gediminas Col-
nominalo banknotas turëjo skirtis spalva. umns and an octagonal heraldic star, the other for a varying de-
Dailininkas dirbo visiðkai slaptai. Apie jo darbus þinojo tik grafikos nomination numeral. In addition, the banknotes of each denomina-
technologijø specialistas S. Katkus ir tuometinë ðalies vadovybë tion were to differ in colour.
V. Landsbergis ir G. Vagnorius. Jau studijuodamas Vilniaus dailës aka- The designer worked in absolute secrecy. The only persons to know
demijos Grafikos katedroje, Ð. Leonavièius garsëjo nepaprastu kruopð- about his works were the expert in graphic technologies S. Katkus
tumu ir kantrybe. Jo studentiðki darbai buvo didelio formato ofortai and the top national officials of the time Vytautas Landsbergis and
daugiafigûrës fantastiðkø bûtybiø ir situacijø scenos, uþpildytos smul- Gediminas Vagnorius. The designer constructed primitive guilloche
kiu sidabriniø linijø audiniu. Tokiam slaptam ir atsidavimo reikalau- drawing equipment in his studio and drew the ornaments himself.
janèiam darbui jis labai tiko. Dailininkas savo studijoje sukonstravo The work took from the autumn of 1990 to the spring of 1991, a
primityvià giljoðo braiþymo árangà ir pats braiþë ornamentus. Darbas period when Soviet soldiers raged in the reviving Lithuania. Katkus
truko nuo 1990 m. rudens iki 1991 m. pavasario, kai atgimstanèioje brought the completed designs by Leonavièius to the Government,
Lietuvoje siautëjo sovietø kareiviai. Ð. Leonavièiaus baigtus projektus yet the reserve banknote was never used, as the designs prepared by
S. Katkus nuneðë á Vyriausybæ, taèiau atsarginio banknoto neprireikë the team of artists were printed. Leonavièius designs have not sur-
buvo atspausdinti dailininkø grupës parengti projektai. Ð. Leonavièiaus vived. Nor has the author preserved any sketches: he was ordered not
sukurti darbai neiðliko. Autorius neturi ir eskizø jam buvo liepta nie- to keep anything and destroy everything that was unnecessary. Only
ko nelaikyti, viskà, kas nereikalinga, sunaikinti. Tik du nedideli pieði- two small drawings, lost accidentally in the artists drawers, remained
nëliai, atsitiktinai uþsimetæ dailininko stalèiuose, pateko á Lietuvos na- to enter the collections of the National Museum.
cionalinio muziejaus rinkinius. While preparing litas designs, the artists also designed the provi-
Rengdami litø projektus, dailininkai suprojektavo ir laikinuosius pi- sional currency, the talonas, notes; these were printed by the Spindulys
nigus talonus, juos spausdino Kauno Spindulio ir Raidës spaustuvës. and Raidë printing houses in Kaunas.

3 talonø eskizas.
3 talonø reversas.
Sketch for 3 talonas.

3 talonas, back.

5 talonø eskizas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
5 talonø reversas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
Sketch for 5 talonas.

5 talonas, back.

Esant sudëtingai ekonominei situacijai ir baiminantis naujai áves- Under the complicated economic circumstances and in fear of the
tos savarankiðkos valiutos nuvertëjimo, buvo ieðkoma bûdø, kaip at- depreciation of the newly introduced independent currency, ways were
siriboti nuo devalvuojanèio rublio, stabilizuoti ekonominæ padëtá, ir sought for dissociating from the devaluing rouble, stabilising the eco-
tik tada, nerizikuojant lito autoritetu, iðleisti já á apyvartà. Siekdama nomic situation and only then putting the litas into circulation without
ðio tikslo, 1991 m. rugpjûèio 5 d. Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybë putting its reputation at risk. With this aim in view, the Government of
ávedë bendruosius talonus, jie buvo iðmokami kaip priedas kartu su the Republic of Lithuania introduced the general talonas notes on 5
algomis rubliais ir iki 1992 m. geguþës 11 d. funkcionavo kuponø August 1991. These were paid along with rouble wages and salaries and
forma ásigyjant prekes. 1992 m. rugsëjo 16 d. Lito komitetas priëmë were used as coupons to pay for goods until 11 May 1992. On 16
nutarimà Dël Lietuvos Respublikos laikinøjø pinigø talonø ávedi- September 1992, the Litas Committee adopted the decision On the
mo ir rubliø iðëmimo ið apyvartos. Ðiuo nutarimu nustatyta, kad Introduction of the Provisional Currency of the Republic of Lithuania,
nuo 1992 m. spalio 1 d. Lietuvos Respublikoje cirkuliuja tik laikinieji the Talonas, and Withdrawal of Roubles from Circulation. The deci-
pinigai talonai. Rubliai á talonus buvo keièiami santykiu 1:1. Buvo sion established that only the provisional currency, the talonas, would
iðleistos dvi talonø laidos 1991 m. ir 1992 m. circulate in the Republic of Lithuania as from 1 October 1992. There
1991 m. iðleisti visø apyvartai reikalingø nominalø talonai, prade- were two issues of talonas notes: in 1991 and 1992.
dant deðimtosiomis vieneto dalimis ir baigiant ðimtinëmis. Trijø no- In 1991, talonas notes of all denominations necessary for circula-
minalø deðimtøjø talonø daliø (0,1, 0,2 ir 0,5) centø visø aver- tion were issued, from tenths of the unit to hundreds. The layout of
sø kompozicija vienoda: geltonos plokðtumos, uþpildytos banguoto- the front of one-tenth of talonas notes of three denominations (0.1,
mis linijomis, centre valstybës herbas, o virð jo tekstas Lietuvos 0.2 and 0.5), the cent, was the same: yellow planes filled with wav-
Respublika. Reversà dailininkas Kazimieras Paðkauskas papuoðë ða- ing lines, the state emblem in the centre, and the inscription Repub-
lavijo ðakele, ant jos sukomponuoti dideli nominalo skaièiai. Reversai lic of Lithuania above it. The artist Kazimieras Paðkauskas decorated
vienas nuo kito skyrësi ne tik nominalø skaièiais, bet ir jø spalva. Di- their back with a branch of the sage, on which large denomination
dieji nominalai buvo spausdinami didesnio formato popieriuje su van- numerals were arranged. The backs differed not only in denomina-
denþenkliu Gediminaièiø stulpais. Jø averse dvispalviu linijiniu or- tion numerals but in colour as well. High denominations were printed
namentu uþpildytame fone nupieðta kiekvieno nominalo talonui ki- on larger size paper with the watermark. Their front carried a branch
tokio augalo ðakelë ir didelis nominalo skaièius, o baltame kraðte of a plant, different for talonas notes of each denomination, and a big
valstybës herbas. Reverso centre dominuoja grafinis kokio nors Lietu- denomination numeral against the background of a two-colour linear
vos miðkø gyvûno pieðinys ir du nedideli nominalo skaièiai. ornament, as well as the state emblem on a white edge. The graphic
Talonø kompozicija paprasta ir aiðki. Þmonës prie talonø greitai image of some Lithuanian forest animal and two small-sized denomi-
priprato ir mielai juos priëmë. Profesionaliai sukomponuoti ir nupieðti nation numerals dominated the centre of the back.
gyvûnø siluetai laikui bëgant áaugo á þmoniø sàmonæ kaip nominalø In the process of designing talonas notes, their security was also
simboliai: drieþai, paukðèiai tai vienetai, kiaunë, lûðis, briedis de- considered, which included the already mentioned watermarked pa-
ðimtys, o Lietuvos miðkø galiûnas stumbras ðimtinë. per, serial number, and both sides of talonas notes printed in guil-
Projektuojant talonus, buvo galvojama ir apie jø apsaugà. Tai jau loche. In fact, the guilloche was quite primitive, such as could be
minëtas popierius su vandenþenkliu, serijos numeris ir giljoðu atspaus- designed under the conditions of secrecy. The artist Miknevièius re-
dintos abi talonø pusës. Tiesa, giljoðas gana primityvus toks, koká called designing it at the Academy of Fine Arts, assisted by Depart-
konspiracinëmis sàlygomis buvo galima suprojektuoti. Dailininkas ment of Architecture staff with the aid of probably the only computer
R. Miknevièius prisimena, kaip já kûrë Dailës akademijoje Architek- available at the Academy at that time.
tûros katedros darbuotojø padedamas su tuomet, ko gero, vieninteliu The second issue of talonas notes (in 1992) was designed by a
visoje Akademijoje kompiuteriu. Talonuose, iðskyrus deðimtàsias jø team of graphic artists set up and headed by the chief artist of the
dalis, buvo spausdinami áspëjantys apie nuobaudas uþ padirbinëjimà recently established Securities Printing House Kazimieras Paðkauskas.
tekstai, taèiau tai rezultatø nedavë. Ðios priemonës neapsaugojo talo- The team included Rûta Lelytë, Vilius Jurkûnas and Algë Varnaitë.
nø nuo padirbinëjimo. Their layout scheme remained the same as in the 1991 issue: a branch
Antrà talonø laidà (1992 m.) kûrë kà tik ásteigtos Vertybiniø po- of a plant on the front, different for the talonas of every denomina-
pieriø leidyklos vyriausiojo dailininko K. Paðkausko suburta ir vado- tion, and a large denomination numeral drawn on two-colour guil-
vaujama dailininkø grafikø grupë: R. Lelytë, V. Jurkûnas ir A. Var- loche, yet of a more complex structure. They were framed with hori-
naitë. Jø komponavimo schema iðliko tokia pat, kaip ir 1991 m. lai- zontal texts at the top and bottom, and the year of issue, state emblem
dos: averse ant dvispalvio, taèiau sudëtingesnës struktûros giljoðo bu- and a small denomination numeral were printed on the right side.
vo pieðiama kiekvieno nominalo talonui kitokio augalo ðakelë ir dide- On the back of the talonas notes Lithuanian forest birds and animals

50 talonø aversas ir
reversas. Dail. J. Tolvaiðis
50 talonas, front and back.

Design by J. Tolvaiðis

25 talonø reversas.
Dail. R. Valantinas

Dail. J. Tolvaiðis
25 talonas, back.
100 talonas, back.


1992 m. laidos talonø
averso projektas.
Dail. K. Paðkauskas
lis nominalo skaièius. Virðuje ir apaèioje jie buvo árëminami horizon- were printed in a two-colour guilloche field.
taliais tekstais, o deðiniame kraðte leidimo metai, valstybës herbas ir In the process of designing and printing the talonas notes of this
maþas nominalo skaièius. Talonø reverse, dvispalvio giljoðo lauke issue, a certain experience had already been accumulated and attempts
Lietuvos miðkø paukðèiai ir þvërys. Pasak K. Paðkausko, sugalvota ir were made to correct the mistakes made in the 1991 issue. It was
papokðtauti E. Vilkeliui pradëjus vadovauti Finansø ministerijai, jo noticed that the paper produced in Julius Janonis Paper Mill in Kaunas
garbei buvo skirta didþiausia 500 talonø kupiûra, papuoðta vilkais. was of poor quality, it wore out soon, and the watermark was difficult
Projektuojant ir spausdinant ðios laidos talonus, jau buvo sukaup- to identify. People, used to roubles of a significantly smaller size, com-
ta tam tikra patirtis, todël stengtasi iðtaisyti 1991 m. laidos klaidas. plained that talonas notes were too large to fit into the purse and had
Pastebëta, kad Kauno J. Janonio popieriaus fabrike pagamintas po- to be folded. For the 1992 series talonas notes, paper with the water-
pierius yra prastos kokybës, greitai susidëvi, vandenþenklis sunkiai áþiû- mark as an abstract ornament was produced in Sweden and the size of
rimas. Þmonës, pripratæ prie gerokai maþesnio formato rubliø, skun- the talonas notes was cut to equal that of one rouble note; in addition,
dësi, kad talonai netelpa piniginëje, reikia juos lankstyti. 1992 m. ta- some elements were printed in invisible inks.
lonø laidai Ðvedijoje buvo pagamintas popierius su abstraktaus orna- There were also plans to issue a 1000 talonas note. The layout for
mento vandenþenkliu, o talonø formatas sumaþintas sulygintas su the texts was designed and a drawing of the worlds king of the beasts,
vieno rublio banknoto, be to, kai kurie elementai atspausdinti nema- the lion, was prepared. The design, however, was never used after it was
tomais daþais. decided to issue litas. According to Paðkauskas, the process of designing
Planuota iðleisti ir 1 000 talonø kupiûrà. Buvo suprojektuotas tekstø and printing talonas notes was smooth and effective. The designer would
iðdëstymas ir parengtas þvëries viso pasaulio þvëriø karaliaus liûto prepare the drawings, the layout of the compositional elements texts,
pieðinys, taèiau, nusprendus á apyvartà iðleisti litus, jo neprireikë. Pa- numerals and ornaments, and transparent films in a few days. The print-
sak K. Paðkausko, talonai buvo projektuojami ir spausdinami labai ing house would make the plates in 24 hours; the chief designer of the
sklandþiai ir operatyviai. Per kelias dienas dailininkas parengdavo pie- printing house would immediately check and sign the proofs. Right
ðinius, kompozicijos elementø tekstø, skaièiø, ornamentø iðdësty- here, in a specially equipped closed shop, the whole print-run was
mo maketà ir kalkes. Spaustuvë per parà pagamindavo formas, lei- printed. The whole process would take up to one week.
dyklos vyriausiasis dailininkas tuoj pat patikrindavo ir pasiraðydavo When the litas was issued on 25 June 1993, it was first exchanged
bandomuosius atspaudus. Èia pat specialiai árengtame uþdarame ce- into talonas notes at the exchange rate of 1 to 100. Centas coins and
che bûdavo atspausdinamas tiraþas. Visas procesas uþtrukdavo ne il- banknotes of 10, 20, 50 and 100 litas denominations were put into
giau kaip savaitæ. circulation. It is customary for banks to stick to a provision that the
1993 m. birþelio 25 d. iðleidus litus á apyvartà, juos pradëta keisti note of the highest denomination in the country should stand for a
santykiu 1 litas uþ 100 talonø. Á apyvartà buvo iðleistos centø mone- half of average earnings; thus there was no need to put into circula-
Design of the 1992
tos ir 10, 20, 50, 100 litø banknotai. Paprastai bankai laikosi nuosta- tion the 500 litas denomination banknotes that had already been series talonas notes by
tos, kad didþiausio nominalo ðalies banknotas turi sudaryti pusæ vi- printed, not to mention 1000 litas denomination banknotes. K. Paðkauskas, front

1 talono reversas.
Dail. R. Lelytë
10 talonø reversas. dutinio atlyginimo, taigi tuo metu nebuvo bûtina leisti á apyvartà jau Lithuanian currency was the subject covered extensively in the
Dail. R. Lelytë atspausdintus 500, tuo labiau 1 000 litø banknotus. media. Calculations were made of how many Samogitians (north-
Þiniasklaida daug raðë apie lietuviðkus pinigus. Suskaièiuota, kiek western Lithuanians), Suvalkians (southern Lithuanians) and
þemaièiø, suvalkieèiø ir aukðtaièiø atvaizduota lietuviðkuose piniguose. Aukðtaitians (eastern Lithuanians) decorated Lithuanian money. It
Paaiðkëjo, kad daugiausia yra þemaièiø net ðeði, trys suvalkieèiai, turned out that the majority were Samogitians as many as six; three
vienas ið Maþosios Lietuvos ir në vieno aukðtaièio. Dar labiau neið- were Suvalkians, one from Lithuania Minor and not a single one was
laikyta proporcija tarp vyrø ir moterø tik raðytoja Þemaitë nusipel- an Aukðtaitian. Males and females were even more out of proportion:
në garbës. only one woman, the writer Þemaitë, had been honoured.
1 talonas, back.
Design by R. Lelytë
10 talonas, back.
Design by R. Lelytë

50 talonø aversas.
Dail. A. Varnaitë
200 talonø projekto

eskizas. Dail. V. Jurkûnas
50 talonas, front.
Design by A. Varnaitë
Sketch for the design of

the 200 talonas by
V. Jurkûnas

200 talonø aversas
ir reversas.
Dail. V. Jurkûnas

Dail. V. Jurkûnas
200 talonas,
front and back.
Design by V. Jurkûnas
500 talonas, back.


500 talonø aversas.
Dail. V. Jurkûnas
500 talonø projekto

eskizas. Dail. V. Jurkûnas
500 talonas, front.

Sketch for the design of

the 500 talonas by
V. Jurkûnas

Vieno lito banknotas
One Litas Banknote

Banknoto, kaip meno kûrinio, projektavimas prasideda dailininko The design of a banknote, like any piece of art, is first contemplated
mintyse. Vaizduojamosios dailës kûrinys grafikos lakðtas ar tapybos in the artists mind. The bank of issue only gives the general guidelines.
drobë yra tik paties autoriaus paþiûrø ir skonio iðraiðka, o banknotas Decisions on the themes depicted on the front and back of a note,
kuriamas didelio bûrio specialistø milijonams þmoniø. Bankas, turin- colours, lettering and layout are taken following the advice of consult-
tis emisijos teisæ, nurodo tik pagrindines gaires. Kartu su konsultan- ants. Security features, such as watermarks, security threads, graphic
tais nutariama, kas bus vaizduojama vienoje ar kitoje banknoto pusë- and guilloche patterns and many others are incorporated later, follow-
je, kokios bus spalvos, ðriftai ir jø iðdëstymas. Apsaugos priemonës ing the requirements put forward by the banks experts in advance.
vandenþenkliai, apsauginiai siûleliai, grafiniai ir giljoðo ornamentai Both front and back of this note was to be stylistically unified
bei daugybë kitø ádiegiama jau gamintojø, taèiau pagal ið anksto þino- through the use of horizontal ornamental bands, transferred from the
mus banko specialistø reikalavimus. Be apsaugos priemoniø bankno- interwar Lithuanian banknotes, the composition of which was usu-
tas bûtø tik spalvotas paveikslëlis. ally surrounded by a frame of intricate ornament, sometimes supple-
Banknotø projektavimo grupë sukûrë banknotø komponavimo mented with impressive rosettes containing denomination numerals.
schemà. Averso deðinë pusë buvo skirta portretui, dideliam nominalo Such a note, whose space was entirely filled with tiny ornaments from
skaièiui, o kairë vandenþenkliui. Reverso kairëje didelë siuþetinë edge to edge, made an impression of a rigid and complex structure. In
kompozicija, idëjiðkai susieta su averso asmenybe, o deðiniame kom- the composition of the new litas banknotes ornamental bands did not
pozicijos kraðte vieta vandenþenkliui. Abi banknoto puses stilistið- overshadow the plane and left more space for the denomination nu-
kai turëjo vienyti horizontalios ornamento juostos, paveldëtos ið tar- meral and texts to reveal the most important components of the note.
pukario Lietuvos banknotø jø kompozicija ið visø pusiø buvo árë- At the beginning, Miknevièius, the leader of the team, undertook
minta ámantriu ornamentu, o kai kuriuose banknotuose dar ir sutvir- the design of the 1 litas banknote. On the front he presented the
tinta puoðniomis rozetëmis su nominalo skaièiais viduryje. Toks image of a peasant wearing a straw hat playing a wooden pipe. The
banknotas, nuo kraðto iki kraðto uþpildytas smulkiu ornamentu, darë intertwined leaves and cones of the hop at the bottom edge of the
sunkios, sudëtingos struktûros áspûdá. Naujojo lito kompozicijoje or- note made the mood of the whole composition even livelier. A large
namento juostos neuþgoþia plokðtumos, palikta daugiau erdvës no- denomination numeral and its value in words were located on the
minalo skaièiui ir tekstams, iðryðkinti svarbiausi banknoto kompo- right side. The banknote of sunny yellow, warm green and ochre
nentai. colours made a cheerful impression. The back of the note was also
Ið pradþiø 1 lito banknotà ëmësi projektuoti grupës vadovas R. Mik- well arranged with a wooden sculpture of St George, carved by a folk
nevièius. Averse vaizduojamas valstietis ðiaudine skrybële, grojantis craftsman, in the centre and a wreath of rosettes enclosing the text
medine dûdele. Apatinëje banknoto dalyje iðraiðkingai susipynæ apy- Vienas litas (one litas) on the right.
nio lapai ir spurgai dar labiau pabrëþia linksmà kompozicijos nuotai- The drawing of an artist is just a draft of a would-be banknote.
kà. Deðinëje didelis nominalo skaièius ir jo vertë þodþiais. Saulëtos Upon passing through the hands of banknote production experts and
geltonos ir ðiltø þalios bei ochros spalvø banknotas atrodë labai nuo- after acquiring the form of complex lines and ornaments, such a draw-
taikingai. Vykusiai sukomponuotas ir reversas, jo centre liaudies ing would have turned into a contemporary Lithuanian banknote.
meistro iðdroþta ðv. Jurgio skulptûrëlë, o deðiniame kraðte rozeèiø However, after the litas coins of low denominations were made, there
vainikas, supantis tekstà Vienas litas. was no need to go ahead with the printing of the low denomination
Dailininko pieðinys tik bûsimo banknoto projektas. Ðis pieðinys, banknotes and, consequently, their design was postponed. Later, the
perëjæs per pinigø gamybos specialistø rankas, ágavæs sudëtingø linijø task of designing this note was taken up by the artist Giedrius Jonaitis.
ir ornamentø iðraiðkà, bûtø tapæs ðiuolaikiniu lietuviðku pinigu, ta- It is a pity that the compositions of 1 litas note by Miknevièius and 2
èiau, nukalus maþøjø nominalø monetas, nebuvo reikalo skubëti su litas note by Pocius remained unrealised. On the other hand, a ho-
ðiø nominalø banknotø gamyba, ir jø projektavimas buvo atidëtas. mogenous style is better achieved if a series of banknotes is designed
Vëliau ðio darbo ëmësi dailininkas Giedrius Jonaitis. Gaila, kad R. Mik- by one author, which makes it easier to complete the work, as one
nevièiaus 1 lito ir L. Pociaus 2 litø kompozicijos liko neágyvendintos. artist does not have to adjust to another one.
Kita vertus, kai vienas autorius projektuoja visà banknotø serijà, pa- Jonaitis was suggested to commemorate a prominent Lithuanian
siekiama stiliaus vienovë, be to, ir dirbti lengviau nereikia vienam writer and public figure Julija Þemaitë (real name Julija Þymantienë,
prie kito taikytis. 18451921). The portrait of Þemaitë a simple country woman with
G. Jonaièiui buvo pasiûlyta 1 lito banknote áamþinti þymià raðyto- a white lace-decorated kerchief around her head was familiar to
jà ir visuomenës veikëjà Þemaitæ (tikroji pavardë Julija Þymantienë, every Lithuanian from primary school.
18451921 m.). Reikðmingiausi jos apsakymai Marti, Petras Kur- The portrait of the writer dominated on the front of the banknote.
melis, Topylis ir kt. iki ðiol populiarûs, inscenizuojami, iðversti á Jonaitis drew the portrait of Julija Þemaitë after her famous photo

Banknoto projekto eskizas.
Banknoto portreto eskizas.

Sketch for the banknotes

design by R. Miknevièius
Sketch for the portrait on

the banknote.

Banknoto eskizas.
Banknoto portreto eskizas.

Sketch for the banknote.

Sketch for the portrait

on the banknote.

Banknoto eskizas.


Banknoto projektas.
The banknotes design by

R. Miknevièius

2 litø banknoto su
Þemaitës portretu eskizas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis

Dail. G. Jonaitis
daugelio kaimyniniø ðaliø kalbas. Þemaitës portretas kaimo mote- made at the beginning of the 20th century. The designer brightened
rëlë, apsigobusi balta mezginiuota skarele gerai þinomas kiekvienam the faded details and the relief of the face. An attentive look and slightly
lietuviui nuo pradþios mokyklos laikø. asymmetric, tightly pressed lips hint at the writers hard life, while her
Banknoto averso dominantë raðytojos portretas. G. Jonaitis per- country clothes and kerchief show how close she was to simple coun-
pieðë Þemaitës portretà ið gerai þinomos XX a. pradþios fotografijos, try folk. The drawing was masterfully cut by the engraver of the
paryðkino iðblukusias detales, veido reljefà. Gyvenimo iðvargintos mo- banknote printing company: the laces of the ornamented kerchief and
ters dëmesingas þvilgsnis, suspaustos, ðiek tiek asimetriðkos lûpos ro- nuances of facial wrinkles were brought to perfection. It was probably
do sunkø raðytojos gyvenimà, kaimietiðka apranga ir skarelë jos ar- one of the most successful portraits featured on Lithuanian banknotes.
tumà kaimo þmonëms. Pinigø spaustuvës graveris meistriðkai iðgravi- The motif of the back of the note was somewhat disputable. The
ravo pieðiná, puikiai perteikë ornamentuotos skarelës mezginius, vei- small church and belfry in Palûðë, a place in the eastern part of
do raukðleliø niuansus. Tai turbût vienas ið geriausiai pavykusiø mû- Aukðtaitija, was in no way related to the writer and her stories filled
sø banknotø portretø. with Samogitian traits and, sometimes, containing even an atheistic
Ðiek tiek abejotinas reverso motyvas. Aukðtaitijos rytinio pakraðèio colouring. As the remaining sketches showed, it was first intended to
Palûðës baþnytëlë ir varpinë neturi nieko bendra su raðytoja, jos þe- decorate the back of the note with the statue of St George. The motif
maitiðko kolorito apsakymais, kuriuose nuskamba net ateistinës gai- was probably inherited from the composition by Miknevièius and it
delës. Kaip rodo iðlikæ eskizai, ið pradþiø reversà galvota papuoðti fitted well the portrait of Þemaitë who fought evil and backwardness
ðv. Jurgio skulptûrële. Motyvas, greièiausiai paveldëtas ið R. Miknevi- in the country. Besides, the sculptures of St George were very popular
èiaus kompozicijos, bûtø geriau tikæs Þemaitei, kovojusiai su kaimo in Samogitia, where countryside crossroads and flower gardens were
tamsumu ir blogiu. Be to, ðv. Jurgio skulptûrëlës buvo labai mëgsta- often adorned with the statuettes of St George.
mos Þemaitijoje ir puoðdavo daþno sodþiaus kryþkelæ ar darþelá. The horizontal bands used on the banknote of the lowest denomi-
Paprastai pinigø ornamentai projektuojami sudëtinga áranga. Mû- nation and drawn following Lithuanian folk art motifs join all the
sø dailininkai tokiø galimybiø neturëjo, taèiau jø sumanyti ir nupieðti components into a whole; they do not overshadow the individual
ornamentai neblogai tiko banknotams. Maþiausio nominalo bankno- components and do not make the composition too colourful. The
to horizontalios juostos, nupieðtos pagal lietuviø liaudies meno moty- guilloche patterns of the planes are somewhat less successful and are
vus, sujungia visus komponentus á bendrà visumà, jø neuþgoþia ir in dissonance with the subtle drawing of the portrait, and overshadow
nesuteikia kompozicijai margumo. Kiek prastesnis, disonuojantis su the denomination numerals. The idea of finishing the ornamented
Sketch of the portrait of
Þemaitë on the 2 litas subtiliu portreto pieðiniu ir uþgoþiantis nominalo skaièius yra plokð- plane with a sharp outline does not match the subtle drawing of the
banknote. tumø giljoðas. Sumanymas ornamentuotà plokðtumà uþbaigti aðtriu portrait. The forms of the outline, though seemingly designed in line
Design by G. Jonaitis siluetu netiko subtiliam portreto pieðiniui, silueto formos pretenzin- with folk art patterns, are pretentious, uninteresting and convey no
Sketch for the banknotes gos, nors, atrodo, buvo sumanytos taip pat vadovaujantis liaudies me- idea. The same could be said about the trite bent form separating the
design by G. Jonaitis no pavyzdþiais. Jos iðëjo nieko nesakanèios ir neádomios. Tai pasaky- ornamented part of the note from the clear watermark space and two

Þemaitës portretas.
Fotografija
Portrait of Þemaitë,
photograph

Þemaitës portreto
graviûra

of Þemaitë

Palûðës baþnyèia ir
varpinë.
Fotogr. M. Sakalauskas
tina ir apie banaliai iðlankstytà formà, atskirianèià ornamentuotà sharp forms in the shape of leaves branching off to the right of the
banknoto dalá nuo ðvarios vandenþenkliui skirtos erdvës, ir apie du portrait. Their rigid outline suppresses the portrait; moreover, they
nuo portreto á deðinæ atsiðakojanèius smailius þiedlapius. Jie savo grieþtu interfere with the main denomination numeral.
siluetu goþia portretà, o svarbiausia, trukdo pagrindiniam nominalo The other components of the design, numerals and texts, are also
skaièiui. Portreto kairëje ornamento tinklelis ryðkus, taèiau deðinëje well arranged. Some doubts may arise regarding the vertical serial
nuobodi tinklelio struktûra sudaro murzinos plokðtumos áspûdá. Dël number too firmly squeezed between the horizontal bands. The see-
to greièiausiai kaltas ir autoriaus nepatyrimas per trumpà laikà spaus- through feature logically emerges from the ornamental bands.
tuvëje jis turëjo sukurti banknoto ornamentus. The central accent of the composition on the back of the banknote
Neblogai iðdëstyti ir kiti banknoto komponentai skaièiai, teks- is the ensemble of the church and belfry in Palûðë. The church and
tai. Abejoniø kelia tik ðiek tiek per kietai á horizontalias juostas ásire- belfry, masterpieces of the mid-18th century wooden architecture, are
miantis vertikalus serijos numeris. Tikslaus sutapimo þenklas logiðkai represented in contrasting light; the rhythm of dark and light stains is
iðplaukia ið ornamento juostø. only broken by the gates to the churchyard. As the author himself put
Reverso kompozicijos centrinë figûra Palûðës baþnyèios ir varpi- it, he tried to make photos of the ensemble and to draw it from nature
nës ansamblis, uþimantis vos ne pusæ banknoto. XVIII a. vidurio liau- himself, but finally he decided on the photo by Meèislovas Sakalauskas,
dies architektûros medinë baþnyèia ir varpinë kontrastingai apðvies- famous for his photos of the Lithuanian architectural heritage. The
tos, sienø tamsiø ir ðviesiø dëmiø ritmà trikdo tik pirmame plane á engraver was very inventive and skilful in conveying the lighting as
ðventoriø vedantys varteliai. Autorius sakosi mëginæs ansamblá foto- well as the texture of wooden planks and shingles. The image is not
grafuoti ir pieðti ið natûros, bet pagaliau pasirinkæs þinomo architek- dull, though it lacks some feeling of relief: the lit walls of the en-
tûros palikimo fotografo M. Sakalausko nuotraukà. Graveris iðradin- semble could be in greater contrast with the shadowed ones. More
gai ir profesionaliai perteikë lentø, gontø faktûrà, apðvietimà. Vaizdas contrast could be achieved by printing the drawing in dark brown,
nenuobodus, nors ir trûksta reljefiðkumo apðviestosios ansamblio similar to the one used for the portrait on the front, instead of brick
sienos galëjo labiau kontrastuoti su ðeðëlinëmis. Kontrastà labiau pa- red. It would also match better the nature of the wooden building
ryðkinti galëjo pieðinio spausdinimas ne plytine, o tamsesne ruda spalva, itself. The engraving of the trees to the left of the ensemble is less
panaðia á averso portreto spalvà ji labiau atitiktø ir medinio pastato successful. They are at some distance behind the church, yet the leaves
charakterá. Daug blogiau iðgraviruoti medþiai ansamblio kairëje pusë- of the trees are rather tiny, monotonous and seem flat. They are not
je. Jie yra gana toli, uþ baþnyèios, taèiau lapija smulki, monotoniðka ir graphically related from the stylistic point of view to the foreground
plokðèia. Grafiðkai ji neturi jokio stilistinio ryðio su pirmo plano pie- of the drawing and seem quite strange in terms of the mood: winter
ðiniu ir atrodo visiðkai svetima nuotaikos poþiûriu þiemos ðerkðnas frost does not correspond with the summer lighting of the building.
netinka prie vasariðko pastato apðvietimo. Medþiø, virðutinës juostos The tonal colouring of the trees, the band at the top and the back-
ir fono tonai nesubalansuoti. Neþiûrint á tai, kad kiekvienas kompo- ground are not balanced enough. Leaving aside the fact that each Palûðë church and belfry.
nentas skiriasi grafinio audinio charakteriu, visi jie yra vienodo toni- component of the composition differs in the character of the graphic Photo by M. Sakalauskas

Banknoto fragmentas
Palûðës baþnyèios ir
varpinës graviûra
Banknoto fragmentas
giljoðas
nio intensyvumo ir ið pirmo þvilgsnio susilieja á neaiðkaus pieðinio texture, they are all of the same tonal intensity and at first glance
plokðtumà. merge into a blurred drawing.
Banknoto spalvinë gama malonus akiai ðiltø rudø spalvø deri- The range of colours is a combination of appealing warm browns,
nys, nors reverse vyraujanti plytinë ir smaragdinë spalvos yra per daug however the prevailing brick red and emerald colours on the back of
kontrastingos, kad sudarytø harmoningà sàskambá. Nevisiðkai the note are too much in contrast to be in harmony. The positioning
sëkmingai parinkta ir Lietuvos Respublikos herbo skydo vieta. Jis of the shield with the coat of arms of the Republic of Lithuania is not
ákomponuotas aritmetiniame plokðtumos centre, dël to atrodo nusi- very successful either. It is incorporated into the arithmetical centre
Banknote detail leidæs þemyn. Averse graþiai tarpusavyje dera tamsiai ruda portreto of the plane and, therefore, seems to be placed lower. On the front,
engraving of Palûðë graviûra, juodi tekstai ir horizontalios juostos prigesintos oranþinës the deep brown engraving of the portrait, dark texts and horizontal
Church and Belfry spalvos fone. bands perfectly match the subdued orange background.
Banknote detail 1994 m. laidos 1 lito banknotà atspausdino Thomas De La Rue The 1 litas banknote of 1994 issue was printed at the Thomas De
guilloche spaustuvë Anglijoje. La Rue printing company in Britain.

Dviejø litø banknotas
Two Litas Banknote

Kaip jau minëta, 2 litø banknotà ið pradþiø buvo patikëta projek- As has been mentioned above, the design of the 2 litas banknote
tuoti L. Pociui. Jo eskizø stilius labai artimas tarpukario Lietuvos was first entrusted to Liudvikas Pocius. The style of his sketches was
banknotø stilistikai daugialypë, sudëtinga, su gotikos elementais or- very close to that of the interwar Lithuanian banknotes: manifold
namentø struktûra, ámantrûs, stilizuoti skaièiai ir herbø skydai. Tai complex structure of ornaments containing gothic elements, intri-
ypaè akivaizdu 2 litø banknote su Vytautu Didþiuoju ir Trakø pilimi. cate, stylised denomination numerals and coat-of-arms shields. The 2
Aiðku, tokia stilistika netiko ðiuolaikiniams pinigams, ir autoriui litas banknote with the portrait of Vytautas the Great and the Trakai
banknotus teko kurti pagal bendromis grupës jëgomis suprojektuotà Castle served as a good illustration to support this statement. This
schemà. Jo parengtuose vëlesniuose eskizuose (mergina tautiniais rû- style, of course, was not suitable for modern currency and the author
bais averse ir Trakø pilis reverse) jau aiðkiai jauèiamos tos paèios nuo- had to redesign the banknote under the scheme worked out by the
statos, kaip ir kitø autoriø kuriamuose maþøjø nominalø banknotuo- joint efforts of the team. Later sketches of Pocius (a young girl dressed
se. Jei portretas bûtø deðinëje pusëje, o horizontalûs ornamentai ryð- in the national costume on the front and Trakai Castle on the back of
kesni, aversas visiðkai atitiktø nustatytà schemà. Nedaug reikëtø taisy- the note) clearly revealed the same vision as that of other authors
ti ir reversà, o jame vaizduojama pilis labai monumentali ir áspûdinga. designing the banknotes of low denominations. If the portrait were
Vël nutarus leisti á apyvartà maþøjø nominalø banknotus, juos kû- placed on the right-hand side, and the horizontal ornaments were made
rë G. Jonaitis. Nuspræsta 2 litø banknote vaizduoti vyskupà Motiejø brighter, the front of his note would be in full conformity with the set
Valanèiø (18011875 m.) þymø lietuviø raðytojà. Jis rûpinosi liau- scheme. Only the back of the note should be slightly improved, as the
dies ðvietimu, steigë parapines mokyklas, reikalavo, kad jose bûtø mo- castle represented on the back was very monumental and impressive.
koma lietuviðkai, kovojo su girtavimu. Savo knygose, skirtose papras- Later, when the decision regarding the issue of low denomination
tiems kaimieèiams, vyskupas smerkë girtavimà, tamsumà, skatino ðvies- banknotes into circulation was revised, their designs were created by
tis, stiprinti katalikybæ. Jo knygelës Palangos Juzë herojus per kai- Jonaitis. It was decided that Bishop Motiejus Valanèius (18011875),
mus keliaujantis ðmaikðtus siuvëjas Juzë populiarus ir ðiandien. a famous Lithuanian writer, should be featured on the 2 litas note.
M. Valanèiaus portretà reverse palydëti Trakø pilimi nebuvo tin- The decision of the Commission that the portrait of Valanèius
kamas komisijos sprendimas. Greièiausiai tai automatiðkai paveldëta should be supplemented with the image of Trakai Castle on the back
ið anksèiau L. Pociaus komponuoto 2 litø banknoto. Tiesa, vyskupo of the note was not quite adequate. It was probably automatically
knygelëse kalbama apie lietuviø kovas su kryþiuoèiais, bet tai nebuvo inherited from the 2 litas banknote previously designed by Pocius. In
pagrindinë jo apsakymø tema. Jis daugiau dëmesio skyrë liaudies pa- fact, the Bishop did describe the fights of the Lithuanians against the
proèiams, tautosakai ir buièiai. G. Jonaitis viename ið pirmø bankno- Crusaders in his books, however the theme did not prevail in his sto-
to eskizø reverse vaizduoja þemaitiðkà koplytëlæ. Sudëtingos architek- ries. He mainly focused on the traditions, folklore and mode of life of
tûros, ið keturiø daliø susidedantis kaimo skulptoriaus kûrinys ne tik the people. One of the first 2 litas note sketches drawn by Jonaitis
idëjiðkai labiau artimas baþnyèios tematikai, bet bûtø ir liaudies meno bore a Samogitian chapel on the back. The architecturally complex
populiarinimo priemonë. Be to, graþios architektonikos, stogeliø, ko- construction of four components created by a country sculptor would
lonëliø, ornamentø, ðviesos ir ðeðëliø þaismo turtingas objektas bûtø have been much closer to the church motif from point of view of the
gerai tikæs sudëtingam pieðiniui, kuris bûtinas banknotui. Labai ádo- topic but would also have served as a means to popularise folk art. In
miai atrodë ir kitas autoriaus pasiûlymas reverse ákomponuoti garsaus addition, an object rich in its architectonic play of tiny roofs, pillars,
kryþiø meistro Vinco Svirskio reljefà Ðv. Izidorius artojas. Iðliku- ornaments, lights and shadows would have been much more suitable
siame eskize jis, áspraustas tarp horizontaliø ornamento juostø, yra for a complex drawing a must for a banknote. The other proposal of
per daug maþas, kad uþpildytø reverso staèiakampá. Reljefà padidi- the author that the relief St Isidore the Ploughman carved by a
nus, galëjo iðeiti graþi kompozicija, prasmingai pratæsianti M. Valan- prominent master of cross-making Vincas Svirskis should be incor-
èiaus katalikiðkø liaudies tradicijø puoselëtojo, paprastø þmoniø glo- porated on the back was also very interesting. In a remaining sketch
bëjo temà. the image of the relief was placed between the horizontal ornamental
Pagrindinis reverso komponentas Trakø pilis prasmingas ar- bands and was too small to completely fill the rectangular space of the
chitektûros paminklas, tinkantis banknotui. Pilis populiarus turiz- back. If enlarged, the relief could have resulted in a nice composition,
mo objektas, gausiai lankomas net tik lietuviø, bet ir uþsienieèiø, daug meaningfully extending the theme of Valanèius, a fosterer of Catho-
ansamblio fotografijø yra albumuose apie Lietuvà. G. Jonaitis pasi- lic national traditions and guardian of the simple people.
rinko ádomø þiûrëjimo taðkà, leidþiantá parodyti sudëtingà ansamblio The key component of the back of the note, Trakai Castle, is an
planà, jo bokðtø, gynybiniø sienø iðdëstymà. Kontrastingas apðvieti- expressive architectural monument suitable for a banknote. The castle
mas akcentuoja ritmiðkà ðviesiø ir tamsiø dëmiø þaismà. Kitaip negu is a very popular object of tourism, often visited both by Lithuanians
1 lito banknote, tamsûs medþiø guotai iðryðkina monumentalias pa- and foreigners, and its photos are printed in many albums on Lithuania.

Banknoto projektas.
Dail. L. Pocius
The banknotes design by

L. Pocius

Vytautas Didysis.
Dail. L. Pociaus pieðinys
Vytautas the Great.

Drawing by L. Pocius

Birutë.
Birutë.

Trakø salos pilis.
Trakai Island Castle.


Banknoto projektas.
Dail. L. Pocius
Dail. L. Pocius pieðia

iðdidintà banknoto
projektà
The banknotes
design by L. Pocius
Designer L. Pocius
drawing the banknotes
enlarged design

Banknoto projekto eskizai.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
statø formas. Gaila, kad tik poroje vietø parodyti kranto fragmentai Jonaitis chose an interesting point of view of the castle, enabling him
nesukuria salos áspûdþio, o tai vaizdui galëjo suteikti dar daugiau jau- to show the complex view of the castle ensemble and the layout of its
kumo. Taèiau èia pieðiamas ne atvirukas, o banknotas, ir ne tiek svar- towers and defence walls. Contrasting lighting accentuates the rhyth-
bu parodyti pilá su visa jos egzotika, kiek sukomponuoti estetiðkà ðiuo- mic play of light and dark spots. Contrary to the 1 litas note, the dark
laikiná pinigà. clusters of trees serve to outline the monumental forms of the build-
Kaip ir 1 lito banknote, per daug þemai ákomponuotas valstybës ings. It is a pity that the small fragments of the coastline do not create
herbas, be to, aktyvûs ornamentai trukdo ramesniam herbo pieðiniui. the impression of an island while this would have added much more
Horizontalios gotikinio charakterio ornamento juostos per daug ðvel- cosiness to the scene. Yet the drawing was meant for a banknote, not
nios ir subtilios, kad árëmintø aktyvià banknoto plokðtumà. Nominalo a postcard, and it was not so important to show the castle and its
skaièius kairëje apaèioje vos matomas. Reverse aiðkiai matomas tik tam- whole exotica but to compose a modern aesthetic note.
sus nominalo skaièius deðinëje virðuje. Jis subalansuoja kompozicijà. The front layout of the 2 litas banknote is the same as of the 1 litas
Ðio banknoto averso kompozicijos schema tokia pat kaip ir 1 lito. note. The close-up portrait emerges out of the bottom ornamental
Stambaus plano portretas iðkyla ið apatinës ornamento juostos ir vir- band and the top band is partly covered by the vertex of Valanèius.
ðugalviu ið dalies dengia virðutinæ. Skvarbus vyskupo þvilgsnis, puikiai The piercing look and perfectly modelled face of the Bishop is the
sumodeliuotas veidas G. Jonaièio nuopelnas. XIX a. profesionalo achievement of Jonaitis. The lit-up side of the face in the professional
fotografijoje, kuria naudojosi dailininkas, apðviestoji veido pusë plokð- 19th century photo used by the designer is flat, and only the skill of
èia, ir tik gero pieðëjo ágûdþiai veidui suteikë gyvumo ir reljefiðkumo. the talented painter added vitality and relief to the face. Without ac-
Neakcentuodamas smulkiø raukðleliø, iðryðkindamas tik svarbiausias centuating tiny wrinkles and outlining only the key individual forms
veido individualumà pabrëþianèias formas, dailininkas pasiekë mo- of the face the artist achieved an impression of monumentality and
numentalumo ir sodrumo. richness.
Þemaitës portretas pavykæs kur kas geriau negu M. Valanèiaus. The engraved portrait of Þemaitë is much better than that of
Èia, nors ir iðlaikydamas aukðtà profesiná lygá, graveris neiðvengë kai Valanèius. The engraver did not manage to avoid some mistakes, not-
kuriø klaidø. Neátikinamai kieta plaukø sruoga deðinëje, o vyskupo withstanding the fact that, in general, the engraving is performed very
pelerina abiejose kabanèios grandinëlës pusëse atrodo taip, lyg bûtø ið professionally. He used enough contrast in the Bishops face, how-
kitokio audinio. Be to, ji sumargina ir taip jau aktyvià ir ðviesià, dë- ever his robe, which might have added some weight to the portrait,
mesá nuo veido atitraukianèià drabuþiø grafikà. Grandinëlë neplastið- seems to be thinned and merges with the ornamented pattern of the
ka lyg kabëtø ne ant þmogaus kaklo, o ant lygaus stalo. Visai averso background. The big denomination numeral which is an important
kompozicijai trûksta kontrastingumo tik maþieji tamsûs nominalo component of the note becomes indistinct against the background
skaièiai kairëje pagilina toniná sprendimà. Vyskupo veidui kontrasto and, in fact, invisible under poor light.
Sketches for the
uþtenka, taèiau jo drabuþis, galëjæs portretui suteikti svorio, praskydæs The colour scheme of the banknote is cold green, which becomes banknotes design
ir susiliejæs su ornamentuota fono plokðtuma. Didelis nominalo skai- livelier on the back due to the introduction of dark green hues. The by G. Jonaitis

Banknoto fragmentas
Trakø salos pilies
graviûra
Detail from the banknote:

engraving of Trakai Island
Castle

Trakø salos pilis.
Fotogr. J. Polis
Trakai Island Castle.

Photo by J. Polis

M. Valanèius. Fotografija
M. Valanèius.
Dail. G. Jonaièio pieðinys
M. Valanèius, photograph
M. Valanèius.
Drawing by G. Jonaitis

M. Valanèiaus portreto
graviûra

of M. Valanèius

Dailininkas G. Jonaitis
èius svarbus banknoto komponentas paskæsta fone ir, esant pras- sketches of the artist display also subtler colour solutions and it is
tesniam apðvietimui, praktiðkai nematomas. only a pity that the warmer and more intensive green colour, also
Spalvinë banknoto gama ðalta þalia, jà reverse ðiek tiek pagyvina called Veronese, was replaced by the cold and lightened emerald green.
tamsiai þali tonai. Dailininko eskizuose galima pamatyti ir subtilesniø On the back of the note the impression is improved by the yellow
spalviniø sprendimø, gaila, kad ðilta, intensyvi, vadinamoji Veronezës, colour, which makes the trees livelier, although the proportion of the
þalia spalva buvo pakeista ðalta, ðviesia smaragdine. Reverse áspûdá pa- large emerald green planes to the colour of ochre does not produce an
taiso medþius suðildanti geltona spalva, taèiau dideliø smaragdiniø plokð- appealing colouration.
tumø santykis su ochros spalva nesudaro malonaus akiai kolorito. The security features of the banknote are traditional: the water-
Banknoto apsaugos priemonës áprastos tai vandenþenklis Vytis, mark Vytis, a security thread, microtexts, luminescent numerals and
apsauginis siûlelis, mikrotekstai, liuminescuojantys skaièiai ir tikslaus a see-through feature. The banknote paper contains embedded colour
sutapimo þenklas. Banknotø popieriaus pavirðiuje iðsimëtæ spalvoti fibres that are visible to the naked eye and fluoresce under ultraviolet
plauðeliai, matomi plika akimi, ultravioletiniuose spinduliuose liumi- light in green and red.
nescuoja þalia ir raudona spalvomis. The 2 litas banknote of 1993 issue was printed at the Thomas de
1993 m. laidos banknotà atspausdino Thomas De La Rue spaustuvë. La Rue printing company.
Designer G. Jonaitis

Penkiø litø banknotas
Five Litas Banknote

Kaip rodo eskizai, ið pradþiø 5 litø banknoto tema buvo S. Dariaus The sketches show that originally the theme chosen for the 5 litas
ir S. Girëno þygdarbis. Vëliau buvo nutarta lakûnus vaizduoti 10 litø banknote was the heroic deed of Steponas Darius and Stasys Girënas.
banknote, o 5 litø banknote J. Jablonská. Later it was decided to feature the pilots on the 10 litas note, and
Jonas Jablonskis (18601930 m.) daug nusipelnë normindamas lie- Jonas Jablonskis on the 5 litas.
tuviø kalbà. Jis gerai mokëjo suvalkieèiø tarmæ, kurios pagrindu XIX a. Jonas Jablonskis (18601930) deserved recognition for standard-
pabaigoje formavosi bendrinë lietuviø kalba. Mokslininkas, siekdamas izing the Lithuanian language. He had deep knowledge of the
jà patobulinti, pritaikyti modernios visuomenës reikmëms, raðë straips- Suvalkian dialect on the basis of which the literary Lithuanian lan-
nius kalbos kultûros klausimais, parengë ir iðleido ne vienà vadovëlá. Jis guage formed in late 19th century.
taisë ávairiø laikraðèiø ir leidiniø kalbà, rûpinosi terminija, valë ið jos per The portrait chosen by the artist shows the scholar in old age,
amþius susikaupusius barbarizmus. wearing a casual jacket and a small round brimless hat traditionally
Komisijai rekomendavus ðiame banknote áamþinti J. Jablonská, dai- worn by 19th century scholars. It was this expressive photo that the
lininkas medþiagos ieðkojo savarankiðkai. Jis kreipësi á þinomà kalbinin- designer passed on to the engraver.
kà, monografijos apie J. Jablonská autoriø, A. Piroèkinà. Jo padedamas The 1 litas and 2 litas banknotes were engraved masterfully. By
ið gana gausios ikonografinës medþiagos atrinko portretà, parodantá transferring the drawings with soft tonal shifts into a structural image
mokslininko charakterá bei veiklà, ir kartu gerai paþástamà visø visuo- of much stricter lines, the engraver did not hurt either the individual-
menës sluoksniø þmonëms. J. Jablonskio portretas net tarybiniais me- ity of the portrayed persons or their mood; he perfectly conveyed
tais kabojo lietuviø kalbos kabinetuose, jo vardas buvo minimas pamo- details of clothes and their plasticity. In short, the engraver created a
kose. real piece of graphic art. In contrast, the lines of the engraving of
Dailininko pasirinktame portrete mokslininkas jau senas, apsiren- Jablonskis portrait are hard and monotonous making it completely
gæs kambariniu ðvarku, ant galvos XIX a. mokslininkø mëgstama ap- different from the portraits of Þemaitë and Valanèius. The famous
vali kepuraitë. Ðià iðraiðkingà fotografijà dailininkas ir áteikë graveriui. linguist can be easily identified in the portrait: the above details of the
Portretai 1 ir 2 litø banknotuose buvo iðgraviruoti meistriðkai. Ðvel- robe and the round hat serve the purpose well, while there may be
niø perëjimø toniná pieðiná perkeldamas á daug grieþtesniø linijø struk- some doubts concerning the portrait itself. The graphics of hard lines
tûriná vaizdà, spaustuvës graveris në kiek nepaþeidë portretuojamo þmo- of the face and beard change into even more rigid lines and forms of
gaus individualybës, jo nuotaikos, graþiai perteikë aprangos detales ir jø the clothing, as if drawn by a compass. The contrasts of the wrinkles
plastikà, þodþiu, sukûrë tikrà grafikos meno kûriná. J. Jablonskio por- of the clothes overshadow the face, although the bow of the dark hat
treto graviûros linijos kietos, monotoniðkos, jis labai skiriasi nuo Þe- nicely outlines a prominent forehead. A darker tone of the jacket would
maitës ir M. Valanèiaus portretø. Þymøjá kalbininkà atpaþástame tam have been more suitable for the portrait.
labai padeda minëtos aprangos detalës, apvali kepuraitë, taèiau portre- In co-operation with the printers the artist succeeded in choosing
tas kelia ir abejoniø. Veido ir barzdos kietø linijø grafikà keièia dar and composing the ornaments of the horizontal bands. They are elabo-
kietesnës, tarsi skriestuvu iðvestos drabuþiø linijos ir formos. Aprangos rate and peculiar to banknotes, yet their pattern is not boring. The
raukðliø kontrastingumas uþgoþia veidà, taèiau tamsios kepuraitës silu- structure of the background is a part of a big circle, the centre of
eto lankas graþiai iðryðkina kaktos iðkilumà. Tamsesnio tono ðvarkas which is at the midpoint of the face oval. To the left of the portrait
bûtø labiau tikæs portretui. the circle has a guilloche-imitating pattern which bears a resemblance
Bendradarbiaujant su spaustuve, dailininkui gerai pavyko parinkti ir to the Lithuanian wood carving ornaments, and the sharp contours
sukomponuoti horizontaliø juostø ornamentus. Jie sudëtingo, banknotui of the beams to the right of the portrait resemble a spread-out fan
bûdingo, taèiau neákyraus pieðinio. Portreto fonà dengianti struktûra used by fashionable women in the past centuries. The flat edges of the
yra dalis didelio apskritimo, kurio centras mokslininko veido ovalo beams do not harmonize with the intricate surroundings, the portrait
viduryje. Portreto kairëje pusëje apskritimas yra ramaus giljoðinio, rel- and a large denomination numeral. Even more unsuitable is a shadow
jefà imituojanèio pieðinio, primenanèio lietuviðkø medþio droþiniø or- which ends in a rigid bow of an ellipsis. Though conveying neither
namentus, o deðinëje aðtraus silueto spinduliai primena iðskleistà pra- topical nor informative meaning it strikes the eye much more annoy-
ëjusiø amþiø damos vëduoklæ. Plokðèios spinduliø kraðtinës nesiderina ingly than the denomination numeral 5 which is a very important
su sudëtinga aplinka, portretu ir dideliu nominalo skaièiumi. Dar la- element in a rather light field of the note. The toothed edge of the fan
biau netinka grieþtu elipsës lanku uþsibaigiantis ðeðëlis, kuris, nors ir coincides with the contour of the numeral and thus obstructs it. The
neturi nei idëjinio, nei informacinio krûvio, krenta á akis daug ákyriau front of the banknote lacks a tonal emphasis which would add some
negu ðviesiame lauke labai svarbus banknoto elementas ðviesus nomi- vividness and relief to the composition, and would bring the portrait,
nalo skaièius. Dantytas vëduoklës kraðtas sutampa su skaièiaus silueto denomination numerals and texts to the foreground.
linija ir tai trukdo skaièiui. Aversui trûksta toninio akcento, kuris su- Dominating on the back of the note is the famous sculpture School

Banknoto projekto
eskizai.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
Sketches for the

banknotes design by
G. Jonaitis

Dail. G. Jonaitis
Sketches for the

banknotes design by
G. Jonaitis

J. Jablonskis. Fotografija
J. Jablonskis, photograph

Dail. P. Rimðos skulptûra
Vargo mokykla.
Retuðuota fotografija
Vargo mokyklos
graviûra
Sculpture The School of

Misery by P. Rimða,
retouched photograph
Engraving of
The School of Misery

teiktø kompozicijai gyvumo ir reljefiðkumo, iðkeltø á pirmà planà svar- of Misery by Petras Rimða. The sculptor wanted, as he put it down,
biausius komponentus portretà, nominalo skaièiø, tekstus. to express the gratitude to my mother, who had taught all her children
Reverso kompozicijos dominantë dailininko Petro Rimðos skulp- to read in Lithuanian while sitting at a spinning-wheel, as well as to all
tûra Vargo mokykla. P. Rimða raðë norëjæs iðreikðti dëkingumà ir women, who had enough will and energy to fight against the czarist
savo mamai, visus vaikus iðmokinusiai prie ratelio lietuviðkai skaityti, ir restrictions in their own ways. Thus, this sculpture is a monument to
visoms moterims, turëjusioms valios ir energijos joms prieinamu bûdu all those who were not frightened by the menace of deportations, who
kovoti su cariniais suvarþymais. Taigi skulptûra paminklas visiems were the guardians of the Lithuanian identity and cherished it over the
tiems, kurie caro priespaudos metais nepabûgo gresianèios tremties, sau- years of the czarist oppression. The sculpture extends the theme of Jonas
gojo ir puoselëjo lietuvybæ. Skulptûra pratæsia J. Jablonskio moksli- Jablonskis as a scholar, who at the same time was fighting for the revival
ninko temà, tuo paèiu laikotarpiu kovojusio uþ lietuviø kalbos atgi- of the Lithuanian language and was tirelessly developing it further.
mimà ir nepailstamai jà tobulinusio. Rimða made several rather different variants of the sculpture. Jonaitis
P. Rimða sukûrë kelis skulptûros variantus, gana ryðkiai besiskirian- made his choice from the later versions the bronze cast of which is held
èius vienas nuo kito. G. Jonaitis pasirinko vienà ið vëlesniø, kurio bron- at the M. K. Èiulionis Museum in Kaunas. The artist made drawings
zos liejinys yra Kaune M. K. Èiurlionio muziejuje. Banknoto dailinin- and took photographs of the sculpture under different lighting and
kas skulptûrà pieðë ir fotografavo esant ávairiam apðvietimui ir ið ávairiø from various angles. He finally selected the most suitable from his point
taðkø. Pagaliau apsistojo prie, jo poþiûriu, tinkamiausio varianto. Skulp- of view. History of the Lithuanian Art of the 20th Century wrote: The
tûrai bûdinga paprasta ir kartu apgalvota, mases ir aþûrus jungianti kom- sculpture has a simple and, at the same time, thought-out composition,
pozicija, figûrø judesio ir situacijos natûralumas. Nepaisant savo konspi- uniting the mass and the laced ornaments, and a naturally expressed
racinës átaigos, skulptûra alsuoja jaukia ir ramia nuotaika, raðoma motion and situation. Despite its conspiratorial suggestiveness, the
XX a. lietuviø dailës istorijoje. Jau vien ðis apibûdinimas rodo, kad sculpture pulsates with a cosy and peaceful mood. This description
Vargo mokykla nevisiðkai tipiðka skulptûra. Tai labai sudëtingos, dau- shows that the School of Misery is not quite a typical sculpture it is
giaplanës kompozicijos kûrinys. Jos silueto neámanoma padaryti deko- a piece of art of a very complex multi-planed composition. It is not
ratyvø nepakenkiant turiniui ir meninei iðraiðkai. Þmogui, neþinanèiam possible to make its outline decorative without harming its contents
skulptûros istorijos, ji sunkokai suprantama, todël nelabai tiko plataus and artistic value. The sculpture is difficult to comprehend to a person
kasdienio vartojimo objektui banknotui. G. Jonaièiui teko sunkus who does not know its history and, therefore, it is not quite suitable for
uþdavinys ðá sudëtingà þanriná kûriná kiek ámanoma priartinti prie an object of daily use a banknote. Jonaitis faced a challenging task of
simbolio iðraiðkos. Dailininkas skulptûrà apibendrino, atsisakë smulkiø bringing this complex piece of art closer to symbolic expression. The
detaliø, toniniø niuansø, bet per daug nesikiðo, kad neiðkreiptø jos siu- artist generalised the sculpture by removing the details and tonal nu-
þetinio charakterio ir stilistikos. Vertikalus skulptûros siluetas nevisið- ances, but avoided interfering too much in order not to distort the
kai proporcingai ákomponuotas ilgame banknoto staèiakampyje, kairy- topical character and style. A vertical shape of the sculpture was not
sis jo kraðtas per daug apkrautas, o deðinysis lieka visiðkai tuðèias. Padëtá quite proportionally incorporated into the long rectangular of the
ðiek tiek gelbsti ornamento juostos, kartojanèios averso juostø audiná, banknote: the left edge of the note was overloaded with elements, while
tuo tarpu skulptûros fonas ið dalies keiðiasi vëduoklës motyvà iðlygina the right edge remained completely blank.The prevailing colour of the
smulkios giljoðo struktûros. note is azure violet. On the front the intense azure singles out denomi-
Spalvinë kupiûros gama þydra violetinë. Averse intensyvia mëlyna nation numerals while the background is light blue. The portrait in
spalva akcentuoti nominalo skaièiai, ðvelniau mëlyna banknoto plokð- cold violet blue and ornaments in red and violet make up quite a com-
tuma. Ðaltos violetinës spalvos portretas ir raudoni bei violetiniai orna- plex structure of colours on the front, and the violet colour dominates
mentai averse sudaro gana sudëtingà spalvinæ struktûrà, tuo tarpu re- on the back, while the colouring of the composition is made slightly
verse vyrauja violetinë, o roþinë ir þydra spalvos vienoje kitoje vietoje tik more vivid by introducing rosy and azure here and there.
ðvelniai pagyvina spalvinæ kompozicijà. The banknote contains the usual security features, among which the
Banknoto apsaugos priemonës áprastos. Ið jø paminëtinos: vanden- watermark, the Vytis, and the security thread with a microtext, visible
þenklis Vytis, apsauginis siûlelis su mikrotekstu banknoto kairëje, ma- as a dark line when the note is held against the light on the left-hand
tomas tamsiu brûkðniu þiûrint prieð ðviesà. Kai kurie komponentai side of the note, should be singled out. Some of the components
vëduoklës klosèiø briaunos, plika akimi nematomais daþais atspausdin- edges of the fan folds, a square with the denomination numeral printed
tas kvadratas su nominalo skaièiumi apðvietus ultravioletine ðviesa, in invisible inks fluoresce under ultraviolet light in yellow or green.
liuminescuoja geltona ar þalia spalvomis. The five litas banknote of 1993 issue was printed at the Thomas De
1993 m. laidos banknotà atspausdino Thomas De La Rue spaustuvë. La Rue printing company.

Banknoto fragmentas
giljoðas
Detail of the banknote,

guilloche

Deðimties litø banknotas
Ten Litas Banknote

Maþøjø nominalø banknotø komponavimo schema abiem pusëms The layout scheme for both sides of all the low-denomination
buvo bendra, banknotai vienas nuo kito skyrësi tik portretu ir spalva. banknotes was common: the notes differed in portrait and colour only.
Juos, kaip minëta, kûrë vienas autorius, o 10, 20 ir 50 litø banknotus As mentioned above, they were designed by the same author, while
projektavo skirtingi autoriai. Nors ir siekta nenutolti nuo uþsibrëþtos the designs of 10, 20 and 50 litas were made by different authors. In
stilistinës vienovës, laikytis ðios nuostatos iki galo nepavyko. Leidþiant spite of their attempts not to deviate from the targeted stylistic unity,
vëlesnes 10 litø banknotø laidas, stengtasi tai iðtaisyti. the authors did not completely achieve this aim.
Ið pradþiø portretai banknotuose buvo komponuojami averso cent- Originally the portraits were positioned in the centre of the front.
re, taèiau K. Lynikas iðaiðkino, kad banknotai daþniausiai lenkiami However Kæstutis Lynikas explained that banknotes were usually folded
per pusæ, ir centre nupaiðytas portretas bus nuolat perlenkiamas. Bank- in half and the centred portrait would be always folded. Thus, the por-
notui dar nesusidëvëjus, portretuojamasis jau bus neatpaþástamas. Be trait would have become unrecognisable well before a banknote be-
to, ir nejauku lenkti pinigà per þmogaus veidà. Taigi buvo nutarta came worn out. It was decided, therefore, to place the portraits on the
portretus komponuoti deðinëje banknoto pusëje, kairájá kraðtà palie- right-hand side of a note, leaving the left-hand side for the watermark.
kant vandenþenkliui. Ðios komponavimo schemos laikytasi visø no- After the issue of low denomination banknotes was temporarily
minalø banknotuose. delayed and all effort was concentrated on the notes of higher de-
Laikinai atsisakius maþøjø nominalø banknotø ir visas jëgas sutel- nominations, Jonaitis was contracted to design the 10 litas banknote.
kus á didþiuosius, G. Jonaièiui buvo pavesta projektuoti 10 litø bankno- The author adjusted the nearly completed composition of the 5 litas
tà. Autorius praktiðkai jau baigtà 5 litø banknoto kompozicijà pritai- note to the 10 litas banknote of 1991.
kë 1991 m. 10 litø banknotui. The flight of Steponas Darius and Stasys Girënas over the Atlantic
S. Dariaus ir S. Girëno skrydis per Atlantà ir jø tragiðka þûtis ant Ocean and their tragic death on the threshold of Lithuania was one
Lietuvos slenksèio vienas ið XX a. garsiausiai pasaulyje nuskambëju- of the most famous deeds of Lithuanians in the 20th century.
siø lietuviø þygdarbiø. Both Darius (Steponas Jusevièius, 18971933) and Girënas (Stasys
S. Darius (Steponas Jusevièius, 18971933 m.) ir S. Girënas (Sta- Girskis, 18911933) were Samogitians. As children they moved with
sys Girskis, 18911933 m.) abu þemaièiai. Dar maþi bûdami, kartu their parents to the United States of America. There they cherished the
su tëvais persikëlë á JAV. Sumanæ iðgarsinti Lietuvos vardà skrydþiu idea of making the name of Lithuania famous and, on 15 July 1933,
per Atlantà, 1933 m. liepos 15 d. jie pakilo ið Niujorko oro uosto. their plane took off from New York airport. They successfully crossed
Perskridæ vandenynà, jie þuvo audringà naktá Prûsijoje, netoli Soldi- the Atlantic and perished on a stormy night after their plane crashed
no miestelio (dabar Misliboþas Lenkijoje). near Soldin, a small town in Prussia (present Mysliborz in Poland).
Kaip jau minëta, averso centre buvo ákomponuoti lakûnø portre- The double portrait of the pilots, as mentioned above, was placed
tai, o reverse Lituanica, skrendanti virð audringo vandenyno ið in the centre of the front of the note and their plane Lituanica fly-
Amerikos á Europà, á Lietuvà. G. Jonaitis prisimena, kad jam tada ir á ing over the stormy ocean from America to Europe, Lithuania, on the
galvà neatëjo, jog kruopðtus jo pieðinukas bus reprodukuotas be jokiø back. As Jonaitis recollects, he then did not have an idea that his me-
banknotui bûdingø ámantriø ornamentø ir apsaugos priemoniø. Jis ticulously made small drawing could be reproduced on the note with-
manæs, kad jo kompozicija tik idëja, banknoto griauèiai, pagal ku- out supplementing it with any intricate ornaments and security fea-
riuos toliau dirbs pinigø gamybos specialistai. tures characteristic of banknotes.
USBC spaustuvëje buvo ádiegta keletas paprasèiausiø banknotø ap- The USBC printing company introduced into the banknote some
saugos priemoniø: pagamintas specialus popierius su spalvotais plau- of the most simple security features: special paper with embedded
ðeliais, matomais plika akimi ir liuminescuojanèiais raudona ir þalia coloured fibres visible to the naked eye and fluorescent under ultra-
spalvomis apðvietus juos ultravioletine ðviesa, neryðkus ir nepastovus violet light in red and green, and the watermark the Vytis with
vandenþenklis Vytis su Gediminaièiø stulpais po juo. Kai kurie kom- Gediminas Columns. Some elements of the composition were fluo-
pozicijos elementai liuminescuoja, apatinës rëmo linijos pradþioje yra rescent. The beginning of the bottom frame of the note contained a
mikrotekstas. microtext.
Vertinant aversà kaip grafinæ kompozicijà, priekaiðtø nëra daug: The front should not be criticized too much as a graphical composi-
gerai nupieðti portretai, jø tamsus fonas abiejose pusëse pamaþu ðvie- tion: skilfully drawn portraits and the dark background gradually fad-
sëja. Banknoto kraðtuose iðdëstyti kiti svarbûs komponentai: kairëje ing on both sides. Other key elements of the composition were laid out
vandenþenklis, deðinëje didelis nominalo skaièius ir jo iðraiðka þo- on the edges of the note: the watermark on the left and the big denomi-
dþiais. Visi banknoto elementai profesionaliai atlikti ir sukomponuo- nation numeral and its value in words on the right. All the elements of
ti, kiekvienas savo vietoje, taèiau norimo banknoto vaizdo nëra. the banknote were professionally made and composed, each in its proper
Reverse vaizduojamas Lituanicos skrydis. Ið miglose paskendu- place, yet the desired image of the banknote was not attained.

Dail. A. Mandeika
Sketches for the

banknotes design by
A. Mandeika

S. Darius. Fotografija
S. Girënas. Fotografija
S. Darius, photograph
S. Girënas, photograph

Lituanica debesyse.
Fotografija
Lituanica in the clouds,

photograph

sio Amerikos þemyno virð ðëlstanèiø Atlanto bangø lëktuvas verþiasi á The back depicts the flight of the Lituanica. The plane flies over
tokio pat neryðkaus kontûro Europà ir jo belaukianèià Lietuvà. Kaip the raging waves of the Atlantic rushing from the indistinct continent
paveikslas, ði kompozicija taip pat be priekaiðtø: ji turininga, emocio- of America to dimly contoured Europe and Lithuania impatiently
nali, áspûdinga. Svarbiausi komponentai nominalo skaièiai, tekstas, waiting for its arrival. As a composition, this would not draw any
lëktuvas ir valstybës herbas iðdëstyti dviem horizontaliomis juosto- criticism either: it is meaningful, emotional and impressive. The main
mis, centras paliktas didþiulei bangai. Ið pirmo þvilgsnio, banknotas components denomination numerals, texts, the plane and the state
tuðèias vien lëktuvas ir nedideli skaièiai kampuose. Paveiksluose toks emblem are laid out in two horizontal lines and the space in the cen-
komponavimo bûdas áprastas tuðèia erdvë sutelkia þiûrovo dëmesá á tre is left for a huge wave. At first sight, the banknote seems to be
joje iðdëstytus, kad ir nedaug vietos uþimanèius, taèiau idëjiðkai labai empty just a plane and small figures in the corners. Such a compo-
svarbius komponentus. Paveikslo, bet ne banknoto. sition is usual in pictures as unfilled space enables the viewer to con-
Banknoto abiejø pusiø pieðiniø struktûra smulkiø, staèiu kampu centrate attention on the arranged components, which, though occu-
susikertanèiø trumpø ðtricheliø pilkas audinys. USBC spaustuvë tik pying little space, are very significant from the point of view of the
reprodukavo pieðiná ofsetu. idea. But this is appropriate for a picture, not a banknote.
G. Jonaitis, rengdamas projektà naujai 1993 m. laidai, banko pa- While preparing the design for the 10 litas banknote of the new
praðytas, portretus sukomponavo banknoto deðiniame kraðte. Taip 1993 issue, at the request of the Bank of Lithuania, Jonaitis placed
sukomponuotas banknotas buvo panaðesnis á kitus serijos banknotus, the portrait on the right-hand side of the front. Such a layout made
be to, kairiame kraðte palikta vietos vandenþenkliui ir dideliam nomi- the banknote closer to other banknotes of the series. In addition, space
nalo skaièiui. Averso virðuje ir apaèioje nupieðtos plaèios horizonta- was provided on the left-hand side for the watermark and a large de-
lios ornamento juostos. Kompozicija, be abejonës, labiau tiko bankno- nomination numeral. At the top and bottom edges of the front two
tui, taèiau estetiniu poþiûriu ji kai ko neteko. Ankstesnio projekto horizontal wide bands were drawn. This composition, no doubt, was
tiksli simetriðka kompozicija buvo sugriauta, bet ne iki galo. Portre- more suitable for a banknote, but it lost something from the aesthetic
tus ákomponavus deðinëje, dideli tekstai liko banknotø centre, juos point of view. By placing the portrait on the right side large texts
dar labiau iðryðkino grubaus pieðinio ornamentas laurø lapø pynë. remained in the centre of the note and the rough drawing of the orna-
Nenuosekliai nupieðta ir apatinë ornamento juosta. Keisdama cha- ment of laurels made them even more exposed. The drawing of the
rakterá, kairëje ji pasiekia banknoto kraðtà, tuo tarpu deðinëje nutrûksta bottom band was also inconsistent: on the left the band reached the
ir baigiasi ties S. Girëno ðvarku. left edge of the banknote, while on the right it abruptly ended at the
Palyginti su pirmos laidos pieðiniu, nukentëjo ir iðgraviruoti S. Da- intersection with the jacket of Girënas.
riaus bei S. Girëno portretai. Jei ne lakûnø apranga, ne tokia kiekvieno Compared to the drawing of the first issue, the engraved portrait
lietuvio akiai áprasta dviejø jaunuoliø, pasipuoðusiø pilotø kepurëmis, of Darius and Girënas also suffered. The individual features of the
fotografija, juos atpaþinti bûtø sunkoka. Graviûroje neliko individualiø faces disappeared leaving the same regular face ovals, noses and eyes.
veido bruoþø vienodi, taisyklingi veido ovalai, nosys, vienodos akys ir Only a slightly asymmetric drawing of Darius lips made the faces
tik ðiek tiek asimetriðkas S. Dariaus lûpø pieðinys leidþia atskirti vienà different. The image of dress peaked caps, jackets and shirts is
veidà nuo kito. Gana mechaniðkas ir aprangos kepuriø, ðvarkø, rather mechanical. The ornamented bands of pretentiously interlaced
marðkiniø vaizdas. Ornamento juostos ið grubiai, retomis storomis laurel leaves sparsely drawn in thick lines create an adverse motley
linijomis nupieðtø ir manieringai iðsilanksèiusiø laurø lapø sudaro mar- background for the texts and figures and suppress the portraits mod-
gà, tekstams ir skaièiams nepalankø fonà, trukdo smulkesnëmis linijo- elled from thinner lines. The look of the banknote was basically
mis modeliuojamiems portretams. Banknoto vaizdà ið esmës keièia plo- changed due to the guilloche fine-line structure covering the whole
nø linijëliø giljoðo tinklelis, dengiantis visà banknoto staèiakampá, per- rectangular of the banknote and changing in colour that shifts from
siliedamas ið ryðkiai violetinës á þalià, po to á raudonà spalvà. Ðis fonas, bright violet to green and then red. This background, the intaglio-
giliaspaude spausdinti portretai, sutapimo þenklas, ultravioletinëje ðvie- printed portraits, the see-through feature, the outline of the figure in
soje liuminescuojantis centre esanèio skaièiaus kontûras bei po juo esantis the centre fluorescent under ultraviolet light and the denomination
nominalo skaièius papildomos apsaugos priemonës. numeral are additional security features.
Reverso pakitimai ne tokie ryðkûs, taèiau jie aiðkiai pastebimi. Pa- The changes on the back are not so distinct, though still evident.
grindiniø komponentø Lituanicos ir þemynø, nominalo skaièiø ir The positioning of the key components the plane Lituanica and
tekstø padëtis keièiasi nedaug. Vieno skaièiaus aukðtai kairëje atsisa- the continents, denomination numerals and texts did not change
koma, kito tik pasikeièia spalva, taèiau virð audringos jûros skrendan- much: only one numeral was removed from the top left corner and
tá lëktuvà sunku atpaþinti, jis labai skiriasi nuo pirmos laidos bankno- the colour of another numeral was changed. In order to make the
to lëktuvo. Kad kompozicija labiau tiktø banknotui, þemynai ir lëk- composition more suitable for the banknote, the continents and the

Pirmos laidos banknotas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
Banknote of the first issue.


Antros laidos banknotas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
Banknote
of the second issue.

Banknoto fragmentas
S. Dariaus ir S. Girëno
portretø graviûros
negatyvas

engraving of the portraits
of S. Darius and S. Girënas

Treèios laidos banknoto
fragmentas
Detail from the banknote

of the third issue

Treèios laidos banknoto
fragmentas

of the third issue

tuvas buvo perpieðti vadovëliðkai tiksliai, kietomis techninio brëþinio plane were re-drawn in a precise academic manner by using hard lines
linijomis. Buvæs audringas dangus tapo lygiu, giedriu skliautu ið mo- usually used in technical drawings. The previous image of the stormy
notoniðkai plaukianèiø vingiuotø linijëliø mezginio. Bangos surikiuo- sky turned into a smooth and clear heaven consisting of a structure of
tos á lygiagreèias eilutes. Bet labiausiai nukentëjo þemynai. Ankstes- monotonously floating, curved tiny lines. The waves were arranged
niame banknote á miglà nuskendusios pietinës jø dalys dabar ágijo in parallel lines. Yet the continents suffered most. Their southern parts,
ryðkø kontûrà, kurá nukerta paðiauðta jûros horizonto linija. Todël formerly veiled in mist, now acquired a clear outline cut off by the
vietoje Europos matome kaþkokià naujà neþinomà þemæ Europà be horizontal line of the wavy ocean. As a result, instead of Europe one
Italijos ir Graikijos, be Vidurþemio jûros ðiauriniø krantø. Kaip raðy- can see some new unknown land Europe without Italy and Greece,
davo senuose þemëlapiuose terra incognita. without the northern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. A terra incog-
Pakeitimai buvo daromi tam, kad pirmos laidos paveikslëlis taptø nita, as used to be marked on old maps.
panaðus á banknotà, kad jis bûtø neáveikiamas falsifikatoriams. Ið da- The 10 litas banknote of 1993 issue as well as the banknote of the
lies tikslas buvo pasiektas, bet su didþiuliais banknoto, kaip taikomo- first issue was printed by the USBC.
sios grafikos kûrinio, skirto ne tik pilieèiø kasdienëms reikmëms, bet In 1997 one more issue of the same banknote, this time printed by
ir reprezentuoti ðalá bei jos kultûrà, nuostoliais. Thomas De La Rue, appeared in circulation. The front of the note
1993 m. laidos banknotà, kaip ir pirmosios, spausdino USBC spaus- was supplemented with a guilloche-ornamented rosette forming a set-
tuvë. ting for the large denomination numeral. The structure of the planes
1997 m. pasirodë dar viena to paties banknoto laida, atspausdinta of the note is more complicated and a thinner band at the bottom
Thomas De La Rue spaustuvëje. Jo aversas buvo papildytas giljoðo or- extends to the right edge of the composition. The front looks more
namento rozete, sudaranèia pagrindà didþiajam nominalo skaièiui. La- intact and the bright denomination numeral emphasizes the charac-
biau komplikuota yra banknoto plokðtumø struktûra ir iki kompozi- ter of the banknote.
cijos kraðto deðinëje pratæsta siauresnë apatinë juosta. Aversas atrodo Many more innovations were introduced on the back. Though
vientisesnis, ryðkus nominalo skaièius pabrëþia pinigo charakterá. neither the key components nor their layout changed, with the excep-
Gerokai daugiau naujoviø ádiegta reverse. Nors nei pagrindiniai tion of Europe which regained its southern part, the look changed
komponentai, nei jø iðdëstymas nepasikeitë, tik Europa atgavo savo completely as it was overshadowed by guilloche structures. The rays
pietinæ dalá, taèiau juos uþgoþusios giljoðo struktûros vaizdà pakeitë ið of the guilloche pattern emerging from the waves cover the whole
esmës. Ið bangos iðkylantys giljoðo ornamento spinduliai uþdengia vi- space from continent to continent; the contrasting pencils of azure
sà erdvæ nuo þemyno iki þemyno, kontrastingi, prieðingø poliø spal- and orange that are at the opposite poles of the colour scale give the
vø þydros ir oranþinës pluoðtai visai plokðtumai suteikia margu- whole picture a motley look. The previous wave turned into a cloud
mo. Buvusi putojanti banga pavirto á debesá ið smulkiø taðkeliø, á já of tiny dots with a roughly intervening orange guilloche structure.
grubiai ásikerta oranþinë giljoðo struktûra. Spinduliai ið esmës pakei- The rays, in principle, changed the contents of the theme the dra-
èia siuþeto turiná dramatizmo kupina ir tragiðkà baigtá pranaðaujan- matic scene predicting a tragic end turned into a romantic and tran-
ti scena virto romantiðku, taikiu paveikslëliu. Projekto autorius buvo quil picture. The author of the design went to the printing works of
nuvykæs á kompanijos, spausdinusios banknotà, spaustuvæ, bet kà ga- the company producing the banknote, but there was little that the
lëjo padaryti tada dar nepatyræs pinigø dizaineris per keletà darbo die- inexperienced designer could do in a few days. The artist himself ex-
nø. Dailininkas kritiðkai vertina savo projektuotà banknotà. Jis prisi- pressed criticism of his banknote. He recollected: The graphics of
mena: Tada pirmà kartà kartu su kompanijos dizaineriu sëdau prie the banknote became more complex and diverse, but I can also see
kompiuterio ir turëjau progà tiesiogiai daryti átakà kuriant tam tikras some drawbacks: a rather rough background, which is difficult to mask
grafines struktûras, ðiuo konkreèiu atveju dirbau su þemëlapiø kontû- by the wave drawn in dots.
rais. Ir toliau: Banknoto grafika tapo sudëtingesnë, ávairesnë, bet With reference to the 10 litas banknote of the third issue it may be
matau ir trûkumø pakankamai grubus fonas, kai kur jo negali pa- said that the banknote was better protected. New security features
slëpti taðkiniu bûdu pieðta banga. were introduced in addition to the existing ones: on the front an extra
Baigiant kalbëti apie treèios laidos 10 litø banknotà, galima kons- latent denomination numeral of the same size as the one on the left-
tatuoti, kad pinigas tapo saugesnis. Ðalia ankstesniø ádiegta naujø ap- hand side of the ornamental band at the bottom was printed and
saugos priemoniø: averse ðalia apatinio nominalo skaièiaus, ornamen- could be visible only when the banknote was tilted towards the light;
to juostos kairëje pusëje, atspausdintas kitas tokio pat dydþio skaièius, more complex was the design of the see-through feature, a star, and
bet matomas tik pakreipus banknotà tam tikru kampu, suprojektuo- the guilloche structure, covering the whole banknote, was more diffi-
tas sudëtingesnis sutapimo þenklas þvaigþdutë, banknotà dengian- cult to copy.
èià giljoðo struktûrà sunkiau nukopijuoti. In 2001 a fourth issue of the 10 litas banknotes appeared. The

Treèios laidos banknotas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
Banknote
of the third issue.

Ketvirtos laidos banknoto
fragmentas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
2001 m. pasirodë jau ketvirta 10 litø banknoto laida. Pirminë G. Jo- composition designed by Jonaitis significantly changed only when
naièio sukurta banknoto kompozicija ryðkiau pasikeitë tik spausdi- printing the second issue of the banknote, while later only the pro-
nant antrà laidà, o vëliau tik tobulëjo gamybos technologija, gausëjo duction technology was improved and the number of security fea-
apsaugos priemoniø. tures increased.
2001 m. laidos banknotà spausdino Ðveicarijoje, Ciuriche, ásikû- The banknote of 2001 issue was produced by another company,
rusi Orell Füssli Security Printing Ltd spaustuvë. Jei neþinotume, kad Orell Füssli Security Printing Ltd in Zurich, Switzerland. If we did
banknotà spausdino kita firma, kad lakûnø portretai iðgraviruoti ið not know that the banknotes were printed by another company and
naujo, o spræstume tik pagal graviûros linijø tëkmës ir charakterio that the portraits were engraved again and would judge only from the
analizæ, galëtume pamanyti, kad visø trijø laidø portretus graviravo analysis of the line flow in the engraving and its character, we could
vienas ir tas pats meistras. Tik labai atidþiai lyginant galima pastebëti guess that the portraits of all three series were engraved by the same
skirtumus. Tiesa, pastarosios laidos portretai didesni, gal ðiek tiek la- master. The differences can be noticed only through a thorough com-
biau panaðûs á mums gerai paþástamus lakûnus, taèiau beveik visos jau parison of the engravings. In fact, the portraits of the latest issue are
anksèiau minëtos ydos tinka ir jiems. Ypaè neapaþástamos S. Dariaus slightly bigger and, probably, bear more resemblance to the pilots, so
akys su jam nebûdingais aukðtai pakeltais antakiais. familiar to everyone. However, the portraits have nearly all of the
Neþiûrint graviûros trûkumø, banknoto visuma pagerëjo: susmul- same drawbacks mentioned above. Particularly unfamiliar are the eyes
këjæs horizontaliø ornamento juostø pieðinys sudaro jaukø fonà di- of Darius and his unnaturally highly lifted eyebrows.
diesiems tekstams, maloniai kontrastuoja su portretø graviûros linijo- In spite of the drawbacks of the engraving, the entire look of the
mis. Kairëje banknoto pusëje grieþta vertikale nutrûkstantis ornamento banknote improved: finer patterns of the horizontal ornamental bands
kraðtas suðvelninamas ámantria giljoðo rozete, kurià sunku nukopi- form a favourable background for the big-sized texts and pleasingly
juoti. Tuðèiame plote, paliktame vandenþenkliui Vyèiui, iðdëstytos ir contrast with the engraved lines of the portrait. On the left-hand side,
kitos apsaugos priemonës. Originalus, temà atitinkantis sutapimo þenk- the abruptly cut vertical edge of the ornament is made softer by an
las Lituanicos silueto motyvas naudojamas ir kuriant giljoðo intricate guilloche rosette which is difficult to copy. Other security
struktûrà horizontaliuose banknoto pakraðèiuose. features are also laid out in the blank area left for the watermark, the
Reverso komponentai iðliko tie patys, kaip ir ankstesniø laidø. At- Vytis. The original see-through feature a motif of the shape of
sisakius ryðkiø spinduliø, goþusiø lëktuvà ir bangà, kompozicija tapo Lituanica designed to fit the theme is also used when creating a
aiðkesnë, didelës plokðtumos, uþpildytos sudëtingos, kompiuteriu su- guilloche pattern on the horizontal edges of the banknote.
kurtos struktûros audiniu, daro banknotà saugesná. Pagaliau iðspræs- The components of the back remained the same as those used in
tas ilgai kompozicijà gadinæs þemynø kontûrø klausimas þemynø the notes of the previous issues. After the bright rays overshadowing
siluetas nelenda á pirmà planà kaip geografijos atlase, jiems netrûksta the plane and the wave were removed, the composition became much
jûrø ar pusiasaliø. clearer, and the large planes filled with complex computer-designed
Averso ir reverso ornamento juostø pieðinys neákyrus, taèiau sudë- patterns made the banknote more secure. The problem of the out-
tingas, savo stilistika jis susieja abi banknoto puses. Be reikalo daili- lines of the continents which had all the time impaired the composi-
ninkas nepakartojo giljoðo rozetës, suðvelninanèios grieþtà averso kom- tion was finally solved: the continents do not stand out in the fore-
pozicijos kraðtà. Ji taip pat sëkmingai galëjo papuoðti ir reversà. ground as in geographical atlases and have all the seas and peninsulas.
Kompozicijos vientisumu, atlikimo profesionalumu, spalvø kul- This note is, probably, one of the most successful of all the
tûra tai turbût vienas ið geriausiai pavykusiø lietuviðkø banknotø. Lithuanian banknotes from the point of view of the integrity of the
Reikia tikëtis, kad jis bus ir vienas ið saugiausiø banknotø. Ðalia jau composition, professional performance and the culture of colours. It
anksèiau iðvardytøjø jis turi ir keletà naujø apsaugos priemoniø. Pa- is expected that at the same time it will be one of the best-protected
minëtina mikroperforacija, dar labai reta pasaulio piniguose: þiûrint á banknotes. It has some new security features in addition to the ones
banknotà prieð ðviesà, aiðkiai matomas ið maþø skyluèiø sudarytas skai- mentioned above, among which micro-perforation, still rarely used
èius 10. Tai unikali apsaugos priemonë, jà padirbti labai sunku, o in banknotes, should be noted. When the banknote is viewed against
kartu labai lengva patikrinti uþtenka pakelti banknotà prieð ðviesà. the light, the figure 10 formed of tiny perforated holes is clearly seen.
Labai aiðkiai matoma ir punktyrinë blizganti juostelë su mikrotekstu, A glossy windowed security thread with a microtext is also clearly
ultravioletinëje ðviesoje liuminescuojanti vaivorykðtës spalvomis. visible and fluoresces under ultraviolet light in rainbow colours.

of the fourth issue.

Dvideðimties litø banknotas
Twenty Litas Banknote

Iki ðiol iðleistos keturios 20 litø banknoto laidos. Jo kompozicijà To this time there have been four issues of the 20 litas banknote.
sukûrë dailininkas Justinas Tolvaiðis. Tai buvo tik ranka pieðtas kom- The designer of the banknotes layout was Justinas Tolvaiðis. The first
pozicijos karkasas. Pirmos dvi ðio nominalo banknoto laidos (1991 m. two issues of the banknote of this denomination (1991 and 1993)
ir 1993 m.) atspausdintos USBC spaustuvëje. were printed by the USBC.
Mokslininkø siûlymu ðiame banknote nutarta áamþinti þymø lie- On the proposal from scholars, a decision was taken to commemo-
tuviø poetà Jonà Maèiulá-Maironá (18621932 m.). Kunigas, teolo- rate the renowned Lithuanian poet Jonas Maèiulis-Maironis (1862
gijos profesorius aktyviai dalyvavo tautiniame judëjime, bet labiausiai 1932). The ensemble of Vytautas the Great War Museum in Kaunas
þinomas kaip poetas, savo lyrika garsinæs didvyriðkà senovæ, kvietæs á was proposed for depicting on the back. The poet had never seen this
kovà prieð carizmà, dainavæs meilæ Lietuvai ir jos gamtai. Jo eilërað- building; it was erected only after his death. Maironis spent a sub-
èiai nauja lietuviø lyrikos epocha, jos pagrindu atsirado moderniøjø stantial part of his lifetime in Kaunas, where he died, too. The poet
poetø kûryba. Poemos Tarp skausmø á garbæ, Jaunoji Lietuva, was buried not far from the Museum, in the wall of the Cathedral.
eilëraðèiø rinkinys Pavasario balsai formavo ne vienos kartos pasau- Another component of the back, the Statue of Liberty by Juozas
lëjautà, þadino patriotinius jausmus sunkiais okupacijø metais. Zikaras, an image of a winged woman who has broken the ties of
Reverse buvo pasiûlyta vaizduoti Vytauto Didþiojo karo muzie- suppression, was close to the poet, who cherished Lithuanias revival,
jaus ansamblá Kaune. Poetas ðio pastato niekada nematë, jis pastatytas rejoiced at success in the life of the independent state.
jau po jo mirties. Nors Maironis gimë Þemaitijoje, taèiau Kaune pra- Unlike other authors designing their ornaments based on examples
leido didelæ gyvenimo dalá, èia ir mirë. Palaidotas taip pat netoli mu- of folk art, Tolvaiðis ornamented his design with a band of field flow-
ziejaus, Katedros sienoje. Poetui, puoselëjusiam Lietuvos atgimimà, ers and herbs, plaiting the symbol of the poet, a bird, into it. Against
besidþiaugusiam savarankiðkos valstybës gyvenimo sëkmëmis ir emo- a deep purple background, a garland of green leaves extends along the
cingai liûdëjusiam dël sunkumø, artimas ir kitas reverso komponen- bottom of the banknote, providing a favourable background for the
tas J. Zikaro Laisvës skulptûra, sparnuotos moters, nutraukusios light-colour lettering and the denomination numeral. Only the birds
priespaudos panèius, ávaizdis. look somewhat pretentious, especially the one over the numeral, nearly
Ne taip, kaip kiti autoriai, grindþiantys kuriamus ornamentus liau- sitting on the poets shoulder. Some of the details of the birds silhou-
dies meno pavyzdþiais, J. Tolvaiðis savàjà kompozicijà papuoðë lauko ette are done purely in folk style; others are quite naturalistic. Their
gëliø ir þolynø juosta, á jà ápindamas poeto simbolá paukðtelá. Tam- place in the banknote is doubtful, too, if not to be openly criticised.
siai raudoname lauke, per visà banknoto ilgá apaèioje besidriekianti The stylised bird taken from ornamental bands clearly does not go
þaliø lapeliø pynë sudaro palankø fonà ðviesiam tekstui ir nominalo with the realistic drawing of Maironis made after his photograph.
skaièiui. Ðiek tiek pretenzingai atrodo tik paukðteliai, ypaè tas, kuris The upper band also has shortcomings. It is in fact composed of two
yra ant skaièiaus ir vos ne ant poeto peties. Kai kurios jo silueto deta- elements, which do not interlace according to the logic of the orna-
lës grynai liaudiðkos, kitos visai natûralistinës. Jø ákomponavimo vie- ment: six-leaf flowers arranged in a line at the top and stems with
ta taip pat kelia daug abejoniø, jei ne priekaiðtø. Ið ornamento juostø leaves at the bottom. Luckily, the band lightens up on the left, mak-
paimtas stilizuotas paukðtis aiðkiai netinka prie realistiðkai ið fotogra- ing its structure difficult to discern.
fijos perpieðto Maironio. Virðutinë juosta taip pat turi trûkumø. Ji One of the largest compositional elements of the back, the statue
praktiðkai sudaryta ið dviejø pagal ornamento logikà nepersipinanèiø of Liberty is placed too close to the edge of the banknote. The statue,
elementø: ðeðialapiø þiedeliø, surikiuotø á eilæ virðuje, ir stiebeliø su the bell tower of Vytautas the Great War Museum and the Museums
lapeliais apaèioje. Gerai, kad kairëje juosta paðviesëja ir jos struktûra contrastingly lit front faade take half of the banknote and divide it
nebepastebima. by sharp verticals, and the dull, shadowed side faade takes the other
Vienas ið stambiausiø reverso kompozicijos elementø Laisvës half of the banknote. Usually, the architect uses all his fantasy to make
skulptûra per daug prispausta prie banknoto kraðto. Skulptûra, Vy- the front faade, which represents the building, look interesting. The
tauto Didþiojo karo muziejaus bokðtas ir kontrastingai apðviestas mu- architect Vladimiras Dubeneckis succeeded in doing this: Vytautas
ziejaus priekinis fasadas uþima pusæ banknoto ir sudalija já aðtriomis the Great War Museum in Kaunas represents one of the most impres-
vertikalëmis, o neiðraiðkingas, ðeðëlyje paskendæs ðoninis fasadas, ki- sive Lithuanian architectural ensembles of the inter-war period. It is
tà pusæ banknoto. Paprastai architektas sutelkia visà savo iðmonæ, kad unclear, why the designer of the banknote devoted more composi-
pastatà reprezentuojantis priekinis fasadas atrodytø ádomiai. Archi- tional space not to the representative faade but to the shadowy side
tektui Vladimirui Dubeneckiui tai pavyko, Vytauto Didþiojo karo of the building. It was also a thoughtless idea to turn the shadowy side
muziejus vienas ið áspûdingiausiø tarpukario Lietuvos architektûros of the Museums bell tower towards the viewer: the sunlit side turns
ansambliø. Neaiðku, kodël banknoto autorius daugiau kompozicijos into an obscure light dash in a dark environment.
ploto skyrë ne reprezentaciniam fasadui, o ðeðëlyje paskendusiam pa- It is not important to depict objects accurately on a banknote. It is

Maironio portretas.
Fotografija
Banknoto eskizas.
Dail. J. Tolvaiðis
Portrait of Maironis,
photograph


Dail. J. Zikaro skulptûra
Laisvë.
Fotogr. J. Polis
Liberty.
Sculpture by J. Zikaras.
Photo by J. Polis

Pirmos laidos banknoto
projektas.
Dail. J. Tolvaiðis
Design of the first-issue

banknote by J. Tolvaiðis

stato ðonui. Neapgalvotai ðeðëline puse á þiûrovà pasuktas ir muziejaus much more important that they are recognisable by the general pub-
bokðtas, saulës apðviestas ðonas perspektyvoje pavirsta á neryðkø ðviesø lic. The way the objects are inter-positioned on the banknote, the
brûkðnelá tamsioje aplinkoje. play of light and shadows must be subject to the key law of helping
Banknote nëra svarbu tiksliai parodyti vaizduojamus objektus. Daug join individual components into a whole based on the logic of ar-
svarbiau, kad jie bûtø atpaþástami plaèiajai visuomenei. Objektø tar- rangement rather than nature.
pusavio iðdëstymas, apðvietimo ir ðeðëliø þaismas turi paklusti svar- The designer focussed particularly on the sky. The stormy clouds
biausiam dësniui padëti atskirus komponentus susieti á visumà, pa- of different sorts not only provided a dark background for the lit up
grástà ne natûros, o komponavimo logika. building and made the whole composition look dramatic but also
Ypaè daug dëmesio dailininkas skyrë dangui. Audringi ávairiarû- could serve as the basis for the complicated graphics of the banknote.
ðiai debesys ne tik sudarë tamsø fonà apðviestam pastatui ir suteikë Whereas the way the ground, on which the entire ensemble stands, is
visai kompozicijai dramatizmo, bet galëjo tapti pagrindu sudëtingai drawn is uninteresting. Instead, the Museum should have been en-
banknoto grafikai. Tuo tarpu þemë, ant kurios stovi visas ansamblis, larged to reach the edge of the ornamental band and the ground should
nupieðta neádomiai. Geriau reikëjo muziejø padidinti, kad apaèioje not have been featured at all.
jis liestø ornamento juostos kraðtinæ, o þemës nerodyti. The banknote of 1993 issue, printed practically according to the
Praktiðkai pagal tà patá J. Tolvaiðio projektà 1993 m. atspausdinti same design by Tolvaiðis, contained more elements typical of cur-
banknotai jau turëjo daugiau pinigams bûdingø elementø. Ankstes- rency. The experts of the printing company redesigned the offset-
nës laidos ofsetu spausdintà pieðiná spaustuvës specialistai perpieðë gra- printed drawing of the previous issue in graphic lines. Since it was not
finëmis linijomis. Kadangi tai darë ne pats autorius, ne visuomet spaus- the author himself who did it, the companys masters did not always
tuvës meistrai dirbo pagal jo projektà. Jie vadovavosi sava logika ir follow his design. They followed the logic of their own and intro-
ávedë naujoviø gana ryðkiai pakeitë juostø plokðtumas, jas uþpildë duced innovations: modified the planes of the bands, filled them with
giljoðo struktûromis, þemiau ákomponavo didelá nominalo skaièiø. guilloche structures, and placed a big denomination numeral below.
Visa tai banknoto pieðiniui suteikë margumo. Ypaè ryðkûs pasikeiti- All this made the drawing look heterogeneous. The alterations on the
mai reverse. Dramatiðkos nuotaikos su audringais debesimis ir kontras- back were particularly substantial. The dramatic composition of stormy
tingai apðviestu pastatu kompozicija, jà perpieðus techninio brëþinio clouds and contrastingly lit building, redone in the dry lines of the
sausomis linijomis, tapo nuobodþia, nykia, be toninio intensyvumo technical drawing, became a dull and grim illustration from a 19 th
XIX a. vadovëlio iliustracija. Jau ir J. Tolvaiðio pieðinyje sunkiai ma- century text-book, deprived of tonal intensity. The Museums bell
tomas ðeðëline puse á þiûrovà pasuktas muziejaus bokðtas bei lygiagre- tower with its shadowy side turned towards the viewer and the Lib-
tëmis ástriþomis linijomis modeliuota J. Zikaro Laisvë atspausdin- erty by Zikaras, designed in parallel diagonal lines which were only
tame banknote galutinai iðtirpo vienatonëje plokðtumoje. Visi bankno- hardly visible in Tolvaiðis drawing melted totally in the printed
to komponentai perpieðti gana grubiai, tuðèias, autoriaus ne iki galo banknote in a single-tone plane. All components of the banknote were
apgalvotas erdves uþbraiþant ðalta, techniðka linijø faktûra. Banknoto redrawn quite roughly, covering the empty spaces the author was not
staèiakampis padengtas dvispalviu giljoðo struktûrø audiniu. Mairo- sufficiently thoughtful of by a cold technical structure of lines. A two-
nio portretas, nominalo skaièiai, ornamento juostos iðgraviruotos ir colour pattern of guilloche structures covered the rectangle of the
atspaustos giliaspaude, ádiegta daugiau apsaugos priemoniø sutapi- banknote. The portrait of Maironis, denomination numerals and or-
mo þenklas, nematomais daþais atspausdintas nominalo skaièius, ap- namental bands were engraved and printed in intaglio, more security
sauginis siûlelis su mikrotekstu, liuminescuojantys elementai ir kt. features were introduced.
1997 m. Thomas De La Rue spaustuvëje atspausdinta treèia bankno- In 1997, the third issue of the banknote was printed by Thomas
to laida. Pagrindiniai komponentai vël niekuo nesiskyrë nuo ankstes- De La Rue. The key components, again, were in no way different
niø, taèiau ávesta naujø apsaugos elementø. Erdvæ, skirtà vanden- from those printed previously; however, new elements of security were
þenkliui, padengë ámantresnës struktûros audinys, ádiegtas sudëtin- introduced. The space devoted for the watermark was covered with a
gesnis, dvipusá kopijavimà apsunkinantis sutapimo þenklas, daugias- pattern of a more elaborate structure; a more complicated see-through
palviai virðutinis ir apatinis kraðtai smulkiø linijø tinkleliai. Van- feature, interfering with two-side copying, was incorporated; and the
denþenkliui naudojamas tas pats banknotà puoðiantis Maironio portre- multicolour top and bottom edges were made into a grid of fine lines.
tas. For the watermark, the same portrait of Maironis, ornamenting the
Kompanija stengësi tobulinti banknoto apsaugà. Meninë pusë li- banknote, was used.
ko kaip buvusi, o kai kuriais aspektais dar ir pablogëjo buvo su- The company put more efforts in enhancing the banknotes secu-
griautas dailininko pirminis sumanymas. Ypaè ryðkus to pavyzdys rity. The artistic peculiarities remained unchanged and even wors-
dangø virð architektûros ansamblio dengiantis giljoðas. Aktyvi jo struk- ened in some respects: the designers original idea was destroyed. A

Dail. J. Tolvaiðis


Dail. J. Tolvaiðis
Banknote

Treèios laidos banknotas.
Dail. J. Tolvaiðis
Banknote
of the third issue.

Maironio portretai pirmos
ir antros laidø
banknotuose
Portrait of Maironis on
the banknotes of the first
and second issues

Maironio portretas treèios
laidos banknote
Portrait of Maironis
on the banknote
of the third issue

Maironio portretas
ketvirtos laidos
banknote
Portrait of Maironis on
the banknote
of the fourth issue

Banknoto kompozicijos
eskizas. Dail. G. Jonaitis
tûra krenta á akis uþgoþdama smulkesnio modeliavimo muziejaus pa- particularly obvious example of this is the guilloche covering the sky
statà, faktûros tonas priartëja prie Laisvës skulptûros tono. Bankno- above the architectural ensemble. Its active structure strikes the eye,
te aiðkiai ðvieèia tik nedidelis ansamblio priekinio fasado plotelis, o subduing the Museums building of finer modelling and the textural
visi kiti komponentai nuskæsta monotoniðkoje plokðtumoje. Joje ið- tone approximates that of the Statue of Liberty. Only the small area
tirpsta ir nedideli nominalo skaièiai. of the ensembles front faade clearly shines in the banknote, whereas
Bendra averso kompozicija pavyko ðiek tiek geriau. Aktyvios hori- all other components, including small denomination numerals, melt
zontalios ornamento juostos, kontrastingas, nors ir su trûkumais, in a monotonic plane.
portretas, didelis þaliomis briaunomis nominalo skaièius, ið jo spin- The portrait of Maironis was engraved anew. The shadowy parts
duliuojanti daugiaspalvë giljoðo struktûra daro kompozicijà pinigið- of his face became too dark. The heterogeneous drawing of his hair
ka, aiðkiai suprantama. Spaustuvës specialistai iðtaisë dailininko klai- merged with the also heterogeneous ornament of flowers, and the
dà buvusá raudonà paukðtelá ant poeto peties nupieðë plona linijële outline of the upper part of his head faded out.
ir kontrastingoje aplinkoje jis praktiðkai neáþiûrimas. Jonaitis, our banknote designer who had accumulated most expe-
Ið naujo iðgraviruotas Maironio portretas. Jo veido ðeðëlinës dalys rience, was invited to prepare the design for the new 2001 issue of the
per daug tamsios. Margas plaukø pieðinys susilieja su tokiu pat margu banknote, which was printed by Orell Füssli Security Printing Ltd.
gëliø ornamentu, ir virðugalvio siluetas iðnyksta. He corrected nearly all errors of banknote composition. The front
Parengti projektà naujai 2001 m. banknoto laidai, kuri atspaus- contains no essential modifications of the layout of components; how-
dinta Orell Füssli Security Printing Ltd spaustuvëje, buvo pakviestas ever, their presentation is better from the aesthetical point of view.
G. Jonaitis daugiausiai patirties sukaupæs mûsø banknotø dizaine- The banknotes planes and ornamental bands, covered with an elabo-
ris. Jis iðtaisë beveik visas banknoto kompozicijos klaidas. Averse es- rate, finely structured guilloche structure, are in perfect harmony and
miniø pakeitimø iðdëstant komponentus nëra, taèiau estetiðkai jie pa- make a common background, putting forward the portrait, denomi-
teikti geriau. Banknoto plokðtumos ir ornamento juostos, padengtos nation numerals and the texts.
sudëtingu, smulkios giljoðo struktûros tinkleliu, graþiai dera tarpusa- The artist virtually rearranged the back, enlarging quite substan-
vyje ir sudaro bendrà laukà, iðkeldamos á pirmà planà portretà, nomi- tially the ensemble of Vytautas the Great War Museum and turning
nalo skaièius ir tekstus. its lighted front faade towards the viewer, it lengthened and became
Dailininkas ið esmës perkomponavo reversà: gerokai padidino Vy- the key object to dominate the entire composition. The Statue of
tauto Didþiojo karo muziejaus ansamblá, jo apðviestà paradiná fasadà Liberty by Juozas Zikaras, enlarged from the bottom to the top of the
pasuko á þiûrovà, jis tapo ilgesnis ir pasidarë svarbiausiu visà kompo- banknote, was shifted to the right-hand side. It crosses the uninterest-
zicijà surikiuojanèiu objektu. J. Zikaro Laisvës skulptûra, iðdidinta ing, shadow-covered side faade of the ensemble and becomes a verti-
per visà banknoto aukðtá, atkelta á deðiná kraðtà. Ji kerta ansamblio cal in the banknote. The composition is clear; the components are
Sketch for the layout
ðoniná, neádomø, ðeðëlyje paskendusá fasadà ir tampa banknoto verti- arranged consistently. A slight drawback is that the toning of the shad- of the banknote.
kale. Kompozicija aiðki, komponentai iðdëstyti nuosekliai. Ðioks toks owy side of the faade and of the statue is similar. The tonal intensity Design by G. Jonaitis

Ketvirtos laidos banknoto
giljoðas.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
Guilloche of the banknote

of the fourth issue.

trûkumas ðeðëlinës fasado pusës ir skulptûros tonai panaðûs. Reikëjo of the building should have been subdued and the Statue should have
truputá prigesinti pastato toniná intensyvumà ir kontrastingiau mo- been modelled more contrastingly, and the best solution would have
deliuoti skulptûrà, o geriausiai bûtø buvæ jà atspausdinti daug tam- been printing it in a much darker and neutral colour rather than in
sesne ir neutralesne spalva, o ne tokia atvira ir ðviesia raudona. the open light red.
Pagerëjo ne tik banknoto vaizdas, padaugëjo ir jo apsaugos prie- Not only the appearance of the banknote improved but its secu-
moniø. Ðalia anksèiau iðvardytø áterptos dar kelios naujos: originalus, rity features grew in number as well. Apart from those specified above,
poeto temai tinkantis sutapimo þenklas knyga su plunksna, punkty- a few new ones were introduced: an original see-through feature match-
rinis apsauginis siûlelis su mikrotekstu ir mikroperforacija. ing the subject of the poet, a book with a stylus, a windowed security
Labai pagraþëjo banknoto spalvø gama, ypaè averso. Ankstesnæ ne- thread with a microtext and microperforation. The banknote became
ðvarià rudà spalvà pakeitë roþinës, rudos ir tamsiai rudos spalvø sà- much more beautiful in its range of colours, especially on the front.
skambis, iliuminuojamas ryðkesnës raudonos. Blogiau atrodo reverse The previous dirty brown colour was replaced by a combination of
vyraujanèios þydra, ðalta raudona ir blyðki oranþinë spalvos. pink, brown and dark brown, illuminated by a more vivid red.
Taigi po ilgø peripetijø 20 litø banknotas tapo nepriekaiðtingai Thus, after many changes, the 20 litas banknote developed into a
sukomponuotu pinigu. note of impeccable arrangement.

Penkiasdeðimties litø banknotas
Fifty Litas Banknote

Dailininkas Rimvydas Bartkus sukûrë 50 litø banknotà, jame áam- The designer Rimvydas Bartkus created the 50 litas banknote com-
þintas J. Basanavièius. memorating Jonas Basanavièius.
Lietuviø tautos patriarchu vadinamo Jono Basanavièiaus (1851 The personality of Jonas Basanavièius (18511927), called the
1927 m.) asmenybë populiari tarpukario Lietuvoje, ignoruota oku- patriarch of the Lithuanian nation, which was popular in the inter-
pacijos metais po Atgimimo vël atgavo savo vietà tautos panteone. war Lithuania and neglected during the years of occupation, regained
Gydytojas, daug energijos atidavæs Bulgarijos þmoniø sveikatos ap- its place in the Pantheon of the nation. Living far away from Lithuania,
saugai, J. Basanavièius niekuomet neuþmirðo pagrindinio savo gyve- Basanavièius became the editor of the first national paper and fought
nimo tikslo tautinio atgimimo. Gyvendamas toli nuo Lietuvos, jis for the rights of the Lithuanian language. On his return to Lithuania
tapo pirmojo tautinio laikraðèio redaktoriumi, kovojo uþ lietuviø kal- in 1905, he organised the First Conference of the Lithuanians in
bos teises. 1905 m. gráþæs á Lietuvà, Vilniuje organizavo Pirmàjà lietu- Vilnius, which put forward the idea of the autonomy of the Lithuanians
viø konferencijà, iðkëlusià lietuviø autonomijos carinëje Rusijoje idë- within czarist Russia; he also chaired the Council of Lithuania, which
jà, pirmininkavo Lietuvos Tarybai, 1918 m. vasario 16 d. paskelbu- declared independence on 16 February 1918. His merits for the na-
siai Nepriklausomybæ. Paraðë studijø istorijos, archeologijos, folkloro tion, noble carriage, and the beautiful silhouette of his expressive head
klausimais, rinko ir iðleido pasakø knygø. Jo nuopelnai tautai, kilni fitted well for a banknote of a high denomination. The motive of
povyza, graþaus silueto iðraiðkinga galva gerai tiko didelio nominalo Vilnius Cathedral with a view on the Old Town, proposed for the
banknotui. Dideliø abejoniø nekelia ir reversui pasiûlytas Vilniaus back, does not raise great doubts either. Basanavièius lived for many
Katedros su senamiesèio vaizdu motyvas. J. Basanavièius daug metø years and died in Vilnius; he was buried in the Rasos cemetery.
gyveno ir mirë Vilniuje, palaidotas Rasø kapinëse. In his first sketches, Bartkus inserted the heraldic figure of the coat
Pirmuose eskizuose R. Bartkus kairëje reverso pusëje ákomponavo of arms of Vilnius, St Christopher with the baby Christ on his shoul-
Vilniaus miesto herbo heraldinæ figûrà ðv. Kristoforà su kûdikëliu ders, against the background of the Cathedral Square and the Old
Kristumi ant peèiø Katedros aikðtës ir senamiesèio fone. Tokia kom- Town. Such a composition was possibly more interesting; however,
pozicija gal ir ádomesnë, taèiau ji neatitiko ið anksto nustatytos kom- it did not correspond to the a priori established layout scheme and
ponavimo schemos, ir skulptûros teko atsisakyti. therefore the sculpture had to be removed.
Averso kompozicija iðtæsta horizontaliai, ðá áspûdá dar labiau padi- The arrangement of the front extends horizontally; the impression
dina deðiniame kraðte ákomponuotas portretas ir per visà banknoto is still strengthened by the portrait placed on the right side of the
ilgá ryðkia linija atskirta ðvelniø ðiltø spalvø tautinë ornamento juosta banknote and a national ornamental band in soft warm colours with
su tekstu ir nominalo skaièiais. Ðviesus banknotas kairëje pusëje pa- the text and denomination numerals, separated by a distinct line along
maþu tamsëja, ir deðinëje, tamsiame lauke, ðvieèia tik veidas. Barzdos the full length of the banknote. The banknote, light on the left, gradu-
ir veido faktûra kontrastuoja su lygia, tamsia aprangos ir fono dëme. ally darkens and on the right side only the face is shining against a
Peèiai ir nugara beveik lieèia banknoto kraðtà, vëlesnëse laidose tai dark background. The pattern of the beard and face contrasts with
buvo pataisyta uþ portreto palikta daugiau erdvës. Raiþytos saulutës the plain, dark patch of the clothes and the background. The shoul-
fragmentas, iðkylantis ið ornamento juostos, neuþgoþia portreto, o tik ders and the back nearly touch the edge of the banknote, which was
sudaro jaukø fonà nominalo skaièiui. Didelis, ðiek tiek nupjautas sau- corrected in subsequent issues by leaving more space behind the por-
lutës apskritimas lyg ir provokuoja jo centre ákomponuoti skaièius, trait. A fragment of a carved daisy rising out of the ornamental band
taèiau dailininkas já pakëlë aukðtyn ir kairiau, tuo visai kompozicijai does not dominate over the portrait making only an agreeable back-
suteikdamas netikëtumo áspûdá. Jei ði darni kompozicija bûtø buvusi ground for the denomination numeral. The large, slightly cut-off circle
tinkamai, pagal pinigø gamybos reikalavimus parengta spaudai, uþ- of the daisy seems to provoke placing numerals in the centre, yet the
pildyta banknotams bûdingomis giljoðo struktûromis, áterptos apsau- designer pushed it upwards and more to the left thereby giving an
gos priemonës, profesionaliai iðraiþyta portreto graviûra, tai mes impression of novelty to the whole composition. Should this harmo-
1991 m. jau galëjome turëti puikaus dizaino banknotà. nious composition had been duly prepared for printing in observance
Reverso kompozicija ne tokia racionali. Jau pats sumanymas, kai of the requirements for currency production, filled with guilloche struc-
banknote lieka tik peizaþas, palydimas nedideliø nominalo skaièiø ir tures peculiar to notes, with security features inserted and a profes-
neryðkiø tekstø, sunkiai suderinamas su visiems áprastu banknotu. sionally cut engraving of the portrait, we could have had a banknote
Banknotas sudëtinga, daugiasluoksnë idëjiniø komponentø ir ap- of perfect design as early as in 1991.
saugos priemoniø kompozicija. Ðiuo atveju tai tik peizaþas, davæs pa- The composition of the back is not so rational. The very idea when
grindà daug emocijø sukëlusiai vëlesnës laidos banknoto graviûrai. the banknote bears just a landscape accompanied by small denomina-
Dailininkas neásigilino á Pilies gatvës kampiniø namø architektûros tion numerals and vague texts is hardly reconcilable with a conven-
formø ávairovæ, nepajuto senamiesèio stogø ir bokðtø ritmo. Pieðinyje tional banknote. The designer did not go deep into the diversity of

Banknoto projekto
eskizas.
Dail. R. Bartkus

design by R. Bartkus

Dail. R. Bartkus
Banknote
of the first issue.
Design by R. Bartkus

Dail. R. Bartkus
Banknote
Design by R. Bartkus

Vilniaus Katedros aikðtë.
Fotogr. A. Sutkus
Vilnius Cathedral Square.

Photo by A. Sutkus

Vilniaus Katedros aikðtës
graviûros negatyvas
Negative
of the engraving of
Vilnius Cathedral Square

Banknoto reverso projekto
eskizas. Dail. G. Jonaitis
Banknoto reverso
projektas. Dail. G. Jonaitis

design by G. Jonaitis
Design of the banknotes

back by G. Jonaitis

Vilniaus Katedra ir
Gedimino kalnas.
Fotogr. G. Jonaitis
Vilnius Cathedral and

Gediminas Hill.
Photo by G. Jonaitis

matome nykiø ir nuobodþiø stogø plokðtumas, neiðlaikytas Katedros architectural forms of the houses on the corner of Pilies Street and did
proporcijas, taèiau visa tai paskendæ auksiniame romantiðkame rûke, not feel the rhythm of the roofs and towers of the Old Town. In the
atitraukianèiame dëmesá nuo detaliø. Visos peizaþo klaidos ypaè ið- drawing, we see the planes of dreary and dull roofs, distorted propor-
ryðkëjo, kai vëlesnës to paties banknoto laidos graveris, niekad nema- tions of the Cathedral, yet all this is clouded in a romantic golden
tæs Vilniaus, mechaniðkai tiksliai, ðaltomis techninio brëþinio linijo- mist, which distracts ones attention from the details. All mistakes in
mis nukopijavo ðá pieðiná. Jame neliko në krislelio Vilniaus dvasios the landscape became particularly obvious when the engraver of the
nuobodþioje pusdykumiø stepëje matësi tik besikurianti beveidë gy- subsequent issue of the same banknote, who had never seen Vilnius,
venvietë su Katedra ir varpine pirmame plane. made a mechanically precise copy of the drawing after the cold lines
Abi banknoto pusës, tarsi norint pabrëþti jø paveiksliðkà charakte- of its technical drawing. The drawing reflected nothing of the spirit
rá, árëmintos nestoru dvigubu linijø rëmeliu. Pirmos dvi ðio nominalo of Vilnius: in a dull semi-desert steppe, only a faceless settlement in
banknotø laidos buvo atspausdintos USBC. Apyvartoje 1991 m. lai- the process of formation could be seen with the Cathedral and the
dos banknotai iðsilaikë vos kelis mënesius, neuþilgo buvo iðimti ið apy- belfry in the foreground.
vartos ir iðleista tos paèios kompozicijos nauja 1993 m. banknotø lai- Both sides of the banknote, as if to emphasise their picture-like
da. R. Bartkui iðvykus ið Lietuvos, banknotà tobulinti pavesta G. Jo- nature, have a thin double line frame. The first two issues of the
naièiui. Jis prisimena: Jokiø ápareigojimø kà nors nupieðti neturëjau banknote of this denomination were printed by the USBC. The
(manau, kad kompanija banknotus suprojektavo ið pirminiø origina- banknotes of 1991 were in circulation just for a few months. In a
lø). Kartu su R. Miknevièiumi keletà kartø koregavome pateikiamus short while they were withdrawn from circulation and re-issued in
pavyzdþius, bet ðneka buvo tik apie spalvas, kadangi jokiø kalbø apie 1993 in the same design. When Bartkus left Lithuania, Jonaitis was
grafines struktûras, jø keitimà ar tobulinimà nebuvo. contracted to improve the banknote. He recalls: I did not have any
Naujame banknote daug giljoðo struktûros elementø. Kompozici- obligations to draw anything (I think, the company designed the
ja sumargëjo, taèiau ágavo banknotui bûdingà vaizdà. Neblogai iðgra- banknotes in accordance with their primary originals). Together with
viruotas J. Basanavièiaus portretas. Veidui, plaukams, barzdai, ðvar- Miknevièius we adjusted the presented specimens several times, but it
kui surasta savita linijø struktûra, puikiai perduodanti jø skirtingà was just colours that we considered as there was no talk about graphic
plastikà ir kartu sudaranti vientisà meistriðkai iðraiþytà portretà. Gra- structures, their modification or improvement.
viûros toninis intensyvumas kartu su horizontaliomis juostomis The new banknote has many elements of guilloche structure. Its
banknotui suteikia gyvybës ir kontrastingumo, iðkelia portretà virð composition became somewhat motley, yet typical of a banknote in
kitø komponentø. Sumaþintas saulutës siluetas, be to, ji tapo plokð- appearance. The portrait of Basanavièius represents a rather good en-
èiu ornamentu ir nebeturi anksèiau buvusiø ryðkiø sàsajø su lietuvið- graving. A peculiar structure of lines was found for the face, hair, beard
kø verpsèiø ornamentika. Didelis nominalo skaièius, komponuoja- and jacket, conveying perfectly their different plastics and at the same
mas tiksliai virð saulutës centro, atrodo lyg per neapsiþiûrëjimà paki- time making an integral masterly engraved portrait. The tonal intensity
læs. Spalvø gama taip pat gerokai pasikeitë. Buvæs saulëtos geltonos ir of the engraving along with the horizontal bands add life and contrast
ðiltos þalios spalvos sàskambis dabar virto ðviesios ochros, prigesintos to the banknote, bringing the portrait over other components. The
oranþinës ir tamsiai rudos spalvos deriniu. shape of the daisy is contracted; moreover, it became a flat ornament
Banknotas nuo ankstesnio skiriasi ne tik iðvardytais pakeitimais, possessing no previously distinctive associations with the ornamenta-
svarbiausia, kad jame jau yra banknotui bûdingø elementø ir tam tik- tion of Lithuanian spindles. The large denomination numeral, arranged
rø apsaugos priemoniø. Ðalia ankstesnëje laidoje buvusio vandenþenklio exactly above the centre of the daisy, seems as if lifted by mistake. The
Vyèio jame jau áterptas apsauginis siûlelis su mikrotekstu, atspausdin- range of colours also changed substantially.
tas plika akimi nematomas, taèiau ultravioletinëje ðviesoje liumines- The banknote differs from its predecessor not only in the modifi-
cuojantis skaièius, sutapimo þenklas ir kt. Banknotas iðbuvo apyvar- cations listed above. Most importantly, it already contains elements
toje iki 1998 m., kol Vokietijos spaustuvëje Giesecke & Devrient GmbH peculiar to a banknote and certain security features. Apart from the
buvo pagamintas treèias ðio nominalo variantas. watermark Vytis present in the previous issue, it has an embedded
Rengiant naujà laidà, Lietuvos banko specialistai pasiûlë perkom- security thread with a microtext, a denomination numeral printed in
ponuoti dël Katedros proporcijø, beveidþio senamiesèio ir techninio invisible inks fluorescent under ultraviolet light, a see-through fea-
pieðinio primityvaus charakterio kritikos sulaukusá banknotà. Kom- ture, etc. The banknote circulated until 1998, when the third version
pozicijos autoriaus Lietuvoje nebuvo, todël banknotà perprojektuoti of this denomination was printed by the German company Giesecke
pakviestas G. Jonaitis. Jo pagrindinë uþduotis buvo, ið esmës nekei- & Devrient GmbH.
èiant averso, sutvarkyti kritikuotà reversà. Po ilgø ieðkojimø G. Jonai- In preparing the new issue, Bank of Lithuania experts suggested
tis nusprendë pakeisti þiûrëjimo á Katedrà taðkà. Be jokios abejonës, rearranging the banknote, which had attracted criticism for the pro-

J. Basanavièius.
J. Basanavièius.

Banknoto averso
projektas. Dail. G. Jonaitis
J. Basanavièiaus portreto
graviûra
sprendimas buvo teisingas: á matymo laukà pakliuvo ir kiti ne maþiau portions of the Cathedral, a faceless-looking Old Town and the primi-
svarbûs Lietuvos þmonëms objektai Gedimino pilies bokðtas, Trijø tive character of the technical drawing. As the designer of the banknote
kryþiø monumentas ir naujai pastatytas paminklas kunigaikðèiui Ge- was away from Lithuania, Jonaitis was invited to redesign the banknote.
diminui. Kietas pastatø linijas suminkðtino Ðventaragio slëná supan- His main task was to bring to order the criticised back without virtu-
èiø kalvø þaluma, peizaþas tapo ideologiðkai talpesnis, o þiûrëjimo tað- ally changing the front. After a long search for a solution Jonaitis
kas áprastas þmonëms. Atsirado plati dirva grafiniø iðraiðkos priemo- decided to change the point of view of the Cathedral. Doubtlessly, he
niø ávairovei. took the right decision: first of all, the field of vision covered other
Abejoniø kelia dailininko baimë atitrûkti nuo natûros, pastangos objects also no less significant for the Lithuanian people, such as
iðlaikyti matematiðkai tikslias Katedros, Gedimino bokðto, Trijø kry- Gediminas Tower, the Hill of Three Crosses and the newly-erected
þiø ir Gedimino paminklo tarpusavio proporcijas. Banknotas ne monument to Grand Duke Gediminas. The hard lines of the build-
fotografija, o simbolis, ir èia reikëtø ignoruoti nepalankias natûros ings were softened by the green of the hills surrounding the Ðventaragis
diktuojamas sàlygas. Autorius ðiek tiek padidino Tris kryþius, bet tai Valley, the landscape became more capacious ideologically and the
nelabai padëjo: Gedimino paminklas ir Trys kryþiai sunkiai áþiûrimi. point of view became more usual. As a result, much room was created
Nekrentanti á akis stilizacija, neþymus architektûriniø formø apibendri- for a diversity of means of graphic expression.
nimas, vizualiniø ir dvasiniø savybiø paryðkinimas pastatà tik pakylë- The designers fear of moving away from nature, efforts to keep
tø mûsø akyse, suteiktø jam didingumo. Perdëtos autoriaus pastan- the mathematically precise relative proportions between the Cathe-
gos parodyti smulkias, nereikðmingas pastato detales, siekimas doku- dral, Gediminas Tower, the Hill of Three Crosses and the monu-
mentiðkai tiksliai jas atvaizduoti apkrovë Katedros pieðiná nereikalin- ment to Grand Duke Gediminas remain open to doubt. A banknote
ga grafika, kuri uþtamsino jos vaizdà ir suliejo su praktiðkai labai arti- is not a photograph, it is a symbol, and unfavourable conditions dic-
mos tonacijos, nors ir kito charakterio kalnø augmenijos faktûra. Tam- tated by nature should be neglected. The author slightly enlarged the
sus varpinës bokðtas ir siauromis kolonomis bei piliastrø ruoþeliais Three Crosses but it was little use as the monument to Grand Duke
vertikaliai suliniuota Katedra nesudaro áprasto ðviesaus, monumenta- Gediminas and the Three Crosses are hardly visible. A stylisation that
laus ansamblio áspûdþio. Nevertëjo taip kruopðèiai iðbraiþyti aikðtës does not strike the eye, a slight summary of the architectural forms,
reljefà formuojanèiø laipteliø, parapetø ir jø perspektyvos kampø, aðt- and a stress on visual and spiritual qualities would make the building
riai ásirëþianèiø net á ornamento juostà. seem elated in our eyes and add grandeur to it. The authors exagger-
Kurdamas ðiuos banknotus, G. Jonaitis jau buvo patyræs banknotø ated efforts to feature small, insignificant architectural details, his ef-
dizaineris, neblogai susipaþinæs su jø gamybos technologiniais subtilu- fort to depict them too precisely filled the drawing of the Cathedral
Design of the banknotes mais, lankæsis ne vienoje uþsienio banknotø spaustuvëje. Jis puikiai su- with unnecessary graphics, which darkened its image and fused it with
back by G. Jonaitis prato, ko reikia, kad dailininko pieðinys taptø banknotu, daug dëmesio the pattern of mountain flora of practically very similar toning yet of
Engraving of the portrait skyrë giljoðo struktûroms. Buvau liudininkas, kiek autorius vargo su different character. The dark Belfry and the Cathedral, lined verti-
of J. Basanavièius struktûra, dengianèia dangø Katedros peizaþe. Pagal jo sumanymà tai cally with narrow columns and stripes of pillars, does not create the

Banknoto fragmentas
nominalo skaièius ir
giljoðas

denomination numeral
and guilloche

Banknoto fragmentas
ultravioletinëje ðviesoje
Detail of the banknote

under ultraviolet light

turëjo bûti ritmiðkai banguojanèios, aiðkiai matomos juostos, bet at- usual impression of a light, monumental ensemble. It was a bad idea
spausdintame banknote dangus iðëjo neaiðki monotoniðka plokðtuma. to draw so assiduously the stairs forming the relief of the square, para-
Banknoto averso kompozicija iðliko ta pati, taèiau labai pakito pets and their angles of perspective cutting sharply through the orna-
bendras banknoto vaizdas. Neliko ryðkiø geometriniø ornamentø. Ho- mental band.
rizontalios liaudiðko charakterio audinio juostos sudaro ramø fonà The banknotes front composition remained unchanged but its
nominalo skaièiams ir tekstams. general look changed substantially. The distinct geometric ornaments
J. Basanavièiaus portretas iðgraviruotas ið naujo ir, palyginti su anks- disappeared. The horizontal folk-style strips of cloth provided a quiet
tesniu, yra gerokai smulkesnio, taèiau kai kuriose vietose labiau su- background for the denomination numerals and lettering.
marginanèio negu iðryðkinanèio seno þmogaus veido plastikà, mode- The portrait of Basanavièius was re-engraved and, compared to
liavimo. Monotoniðkas, neádomus, portrete uþimantis gana daug vie- the previous one, became of much finer modelling, which, however,
tos yra barzdos ir ûsø pieðinys. Neþiûrint to, portretas iðraiþytas ne- made the plastics of the old mans face heterogeneous in some places
blogai kilnus tautos patriarcho vaizdas atpaþástamas ir artimas, nors rather than exposing it. Despite that, the portrait is engraved pretty
jam, beje, kaip ir visai kupiûrai, trûksta reljefiðkumo ir kontrastingu- well: the noble image of the Patriarch of the Nation is easily
mo. Visas banknoto toninis sprendimas monotoniðkas, be intensyvu- recognisable and close, but, like the entire note, it lacks relief and
mo. Atspausdinus portretà tamsesne ruda spalva, paryðkinus nomina- contrast. Printing the portrait in a darker brown colour, making the
lo skaièius, ypaè didájá oranþiná, banknotas bûtø lengviau atpaþásta- denomination numerals more distinct, especially the big, orange one,
mas. Juk taip svarbu, kad pagrindiniai banknoto atpaþinimo elemen- would have made the banknote easier to recognise.
tai bûtø kontrastingi ir matomi ið pirmo þvilgsnio. The banknote has plenty of security features. First of all the water-
Banknote gausu apsaugos priemoniø. Pirmiausia paminëtinas van- mark, portrait of Basanavièius, should be noted. Both sides have in-
denþenklis J. Basanavièiaus portretas. Abiejose pusëse ávairiose vietose corporated microtexts, a see-through feature, a recognition sign for
iðdëstyti mikrotekstai, sutapimo þenklas, atpaþinimo þenklas akliesiems, the blind, denomination numerals printed in invisible inks fluores-
nematomais daþais atspausdinti nominalo skaièiai, florescuojantys ul- cent under ultraviolet light, as well as other components in different
travioletinëje ðviesoje, ir kiti komponentai. Á banknoto popieriø áterp- places. The security thread with a windowed microtext, embedded in
tas apsauginis siûlelis su mikrotekstu punktyru ritmiðkai iðkyla á pavir- the paper of the banknote, surfaces rhythmically and fluoresces in
ðiø ir fluorescuoja vaivorykðtës spalvomis. Smulkiausiø mikroskopiniø rainbow colours. The multicolour guilloche structures in finest mi-
linijëliø daugiaspalvës giljoðo struktûros vos áþiûrimos plika akimi. croscopic lines are scarcely visible with the naked eye.

Ðimto litø banknotas
One Hundred Litas Banknote

Dailininkas Rytis Valantinas prisimena, kad jis nedalyvavo susirin- The designer Rytis Valantinas recalls being absent from the meeting
kime, kuriame buvo paskirstyti banknotø nominalai bûsimiems pro- at which banknote denominations were distributed among their future
jektuotojams, ir jam liko vienas ið didþiausiø tada planuotø iðleisti designers, and the banknote of one of the highest denominations at the
banknotø 500 litø. Nuspræsta jame áamþinti S. Daukantà. Dailinin- time, 500 litas, was left for him. The decision was to commemorate
kas sakosi ið pradþiø neapsidþiaugæs dël didelës atsakomybës ir dël ne- Simonas Daukantas on it. The author says at first he felt far from happy
gausios ikonografijos. Ásitraukæs á darbà, apsistojo prie Vilniaus univer- because of the great responsibility and scarce iconography. When he
siteto architektûros ansamblio. got engaged in the work, he settled on the architectural ensemble of
Simonas Daukantas (17931864 m.) pirmosios Lietuvos istorijos Vilnius University.
lietuviø kalba autorius. Jo knygose Darbai senøjø lietuviø ir þemai- Simonas Daukantas (17931864) was the author of the first history
èiø, Lietuvos istorija, Bûdai senøjø lietuviø, kalnënø ir þemaièiø of Lithuania in the Lithuanian language. His books The Deeds of An-
apraðoma Lietuva iki Liublino unijos, jos gamta, paproèiai ir politinë cient Lithuanians and Samogitians, History of Lithuania and The Char-
santvarka, keliamas Lietuvos politinis savarankiðkumas, kaip svarbiau- acter of Ancient Lithuanians and Samogitians describe Lithuania before
sia tautos gyvavimo sàlyga. Rinko liaudies dainas bei pasakas, paraðë ir the Lublin Union, its nature, customs and the political system, and put
iðleido praktiniø knygeliø patarimø valstieèiams apie bitininkystæ, so- forward the idea of Lithuanias political independence as the essential
dininkystæ ir kitomis jiems aktualiomis temomis. Jo knygos turëjo di- condition for the existence of the nation.
delá poveiká XIX a. lietuviø tautiniam judëjimui. Daukantas has remained popular until nowadays and his portrait
S. Daukantas ir dabar labai populiarus, jo portretas puikiai tiko suited perfectly for the banknote. The motif of the back raised no doubt
banknotui. Jokiø abejoniø nekëlë ir reverso motyvas Vilniaus univer- either: the historian studied at Vilnius University and in his works fo-
sitete istorikas mokësi, jo kûriniuose Vilniui, kaip LDK sostinei, skiria- cussed much of attention on Vilnius as the capital of the Grand Duchy
ma nemaþai dëmesio. Su S. Daukanto portretu ir Universiteto ansamblio of Lithuania. For the one hundred litas banknote, the sketch of the 500
panorama suprojektuotas 500 litø banknoto eskizas buvo pritaikytas litas banknote designed with a portrait of Simonas Daukantas and a
100 litø banknotui. Pakeistas tik spalvinis sprendimas, vietoje roþinës panorama of Vilnius University was used. Only the colouring solution
þalia spalva. was changed from pink to green.
Susipaþinæs su ne itin gausia S. Daukanto ikonografija, R. Valanti- Having familiarised himself with the not too abundant iconography
nas ið karto pasirinko dailininko Jono Zenkevièiaus tapytà portretà. Ðis of Daukantas, Valantinas at once chose a portrait painted by Jonas
istorikui dar gyvam esant ið natûros tapytas portretas yra labai populia- Zenkevièius. The portrait, painted in the mid-19th century in the realis-
rus, kiti kurti jau vëliau ávairiø dailininkø ir daþniausiai vadovaujantis tic tradition, well reflects the personality of Daukantas and the dignity
minëto dailininko tapytu portretu. XIX a. viduryje realistine tradicija of the period. In observance of the established scheme for banknote
nutapytas portretas gerai perduoda S. Daukanto asmenybæ ir to laiko- layout, the portrait is placed on the right side; the historian also appears
tarpio rimtá. Pagal numatytà banknotø komponavimo schemà, portre- slightly turned to the right, away from all the key components of the
tas ákomponuotas deðiniame kraðte, istorikas taip pat truputá pasisukæs banknote. According to the canons of composition, this is unaccept-
á deðinæ, taigi nusisukæs nuo visø svarbiausiø banknoto komponentø. able and the portrait had to be redesigned, which was done later, pre-
Pagal kompozicijos kanonus tai negerai, portretà reikëjo perpieðti. Ta- paring the design for the next issue. The portrait is large, with the crown
èiau skubëta, nebuvo kada uþsiimti tokiomis smulkmenomis. Tai buvo of the head covering the lettering on the upper ornamental band. The
padaryta vëliau, rengiant kitos laidos projektà. Portretas didelis, virðu- engraving is cut very professionally. The engraver perfectly conveyed
galviu jis dengia virðutinës ornamento juostos tekstà. Graviûra iðraiþyta the resemblance to the historian and the general spirit, and found a
labai profesionaliai. Graveris puikiai perteikë istoriko panaðumà, bendrà persuasive and peculiar flow of lines for every detail. The coarse lines,
nuotaikà, kiekvienai detalei surado átikinamà ir savità linijø tëkmæ. Sto- winding plastically along the creases of the clothing, well convey the
rosios linijos, plastiðkai vingiuojanèios pagal drabuþio raukðles, gerai hardness of the cloth of the frock coat; the thin ones, scarcely touching
perteikia sunkø surduto audiná, plonosios, vos prisilieèianèios prie bal- white paper are used for the shirt, and those dotted and thicker inter-
to popieriaus, marðkinius, o punktyrinës ir storesnës susikryþiuojan- secting lines represent the prominent relief of the face. The deep green
èos iðkilø veido reljefà. Tamsiai þalios spalvos graviûra, atspausdinta engraving printed in intaglio is the most active, most contrasting accent
giliaspaude, yra aktyviausias, labiausiai kontrastuojantis banknoto ak- of the banknote. Similar to other banknotes, two ornamental bands
centas. Kaip ir kituose banknotuose, visus komponentus á nedalomà join all components into an integral whole. Each band in the 100 litas
visumà jungia dvi ornamento juostos. 100 litø banknote tai gilaus banknote is a heavy deep-toned garland of oak leaves with scarcely dis-
tono su vos áþiûrimomis lapø siluetø linijomis sunki àþuolo lapø pynë. cernible lines of leaf silhouettes. It provides a favourable background
Ji sudaro palankø fonà ðviesiems tekstams bei nominalo skaièiams ir for the light texts and denomination numerals, and adds to the range of
papildo ideologiniø komponentø arsenalà. Iðskirtiná dëmesá dailinin- ideological components. The designer places exceptional emphasis on

S. Daukanto portretas.
1850 m.
Dail. J. Zenkevièius
Portrait of S. Daukantas,
1850. Painting by
J. Zenkevièius

500 litø banknoto eskizai.
Dail. R. Valantinas
Sketches for the

500 litas banknote.

100 litø banknoto eskizai.
Dail. R. Valantinas
Sketches for the banknote.


Vilniaus universiteto
ansamblis. Fotogr. J. Polis
Vilnius University
Ensemble.
Photo by J. Polis

ansamblio graviûra
pirmos laidos banknote
Engraving of Vilnius
University Ensemble on
the first-issue banknote

kas rodo ir paprastai pinigø kompozicijoje neiðdidinamam valstybës her- the state emblem, which usually is not enlarged in banknote composi-
bui. Èia jis ryðkiu akcentu komponuojamas á patá banknoto ir ið giljoðo tions. Here, as a distinct accent, it is placed in the very centre of the
struktûrø sudarytos ratilais didëjanèios elipsës centrà. Kai R. Valantinas banknote and in a guilloche-structured ellipsis swelling in circles. At
kûrë projektà, dar nebuvo patvirtintas Vyèio etalonas ir valstybæ repre- the time when Valantinas worked on the design, the standard for Vytis
zentavo tarpukario Lietuvos monetas puoðæs J. Zikaro sukurtas Vytis, had not been approved yet and Vytis by Juozas Zikaras, which deco-
todël ðiame banknote matome nupieðtà jo skulptûriná reljefà. Tai buvo rated the Lithuanian coins of the inter-war period, represented the state;
daroma ir kitose 100, 200 ir 500 litø banknotø laidose nors jau buvo therefore we see his sculptural relief on the banknote under review.
patvirtintas dabartinis valstybës herbas, buvo pieðiamas J. Zikaro su- There is one more detail clearly borrowed from the pre-war Lithuanian
kurtas Vytis. Tiesa, monetose jis horizontalus, o banknote autorius já money: an oval-shaped space for the watermark.
pasuko ástriþai aukðtyn, turbût siekdamas suteikti verþlumo. Yra dar The back features the architectural ensemble of Vilnius University
viena detalë, aiðkiai pasiskolinta ið prieðkario Lietuvos pinigø, tai ova- with the prominent but, unfortunately, scarcely visible tower and faade
lo formos laukas vandenþenkliui. of the Church of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist. From
Reverse dominuoja Vilniaus universiteto architektûros ansamblis su the ideological point of view, the authors choice raises no doubts, nor
iðkiliais, deja, kompozicijoje vos matomais Ðv. Jonø baþnyèios bokðtu ir from the technical one. The ensemble, which evolved to its present
fasadu. Þiûrint ið idëjinës pusës, autoriaus pasirinkimas nekelia abejo- form in the course of centuries from buildings of different architectural
niø, techniniu poþiûriu taip pat. Ðimtmeèiais ið ávairiø architektûros styles, was a suitable subject for a drawing on the banknote. Unfortu-
stiliø pastatø susiformavæs ansamblis labai tiko banknoto pieðiniui. De- nately, the result was not quite successful, mostly through the fault of
ja, rezultatas nevisiðkai sëkmingas, ir daugiausiai dël to kaltas pats daili- the designer himself, who chose a vast panorama, taking up several blocks
ninkas, kompozicijos pagrindu pasirinkæs didþiulæ, kelis Vilniaus kvar- of Vilnius, for the basis of his composition. The author himself lacked
talus apimanèià panoramà. Jam paèiam pritrûko jëgø ir kantrybës, kad energy and patience to show the characteristic features of every house,
parodytø kiekvieno namo charakteringus bruoþus, iðryðkintø jo detales, expose their details, and separate the buildings from each other, not to
atskirtø pastatus vienà nuo kito, o kà jau bekalbëti apie Vilniaus nepa- mention the work of engravers, unfamiliar with Vilnius. The same thing
þástanèiø graveriø darbà. Atsitiko tas pats, kaip ir su senamiesèio pasta- happened as with the Old Town buildings in the background of the
tais Katedros fone pirmos laidos 50 litø banknote. Baþnyèia, M. K. Sar- Cathedral designed on the 50 litas banknote of the first issue. The Church
bievijaus ir M. Poèobuto kiemus supantys pastatai dar turi individualiø and the buildings surrounding the Sarbievijus and Poèobutas Court-
detaliø, o toliau vienodi, migloje skæstantys stogai ir sienos su nuobo- yards still have individual details, whereas beyond them are uniform
dþiomis langø kiaurymëmis. Dailininkui vertëjo apsiriboti trimis di- roofs shrouded in a mist and walls with dull hollows of windows. The
dþiaisiais kiemais, sudaranèiais ansamblio branduolá, Centriniu, designer would have done better to limit himself with the three largest
M. K. Sarbievijaus ir M. Poèobuto. Maþesnis fragmentas bûtø leidæs courtyards forming the kernel of the ensemble: the Great, Sarbievijus,
labiau iðdidinti statinius, parodyti daugiau charakteringø detaliø. Page- and Poèobutas courtyards. A smaller fragment would have allowed en-
rëtø ir banknoto kompozicija. larging the buildings and revealing more characteristic details. Also, the
Beje, apie ornamento juostas: kodël jos secesijos stiliaus? S. Dau- banknotes composition would have improved.
kantas gyveno gerokai anksèiau iki XIX a. ir XX a. sandûros, kai visame The banknote of 1991 was printed by the USBC.
pasaulyje suklestëjo ðis stilius. Turime ir Vilniuje vienà kità pastatà su In 1994, the USBC, again, printed the 100 litas banknotes of the
secesijos poþymiais, taèiau Universiteto ansamblyje nëra në vieno. Or- same design; only an additional security feature, a security thread, was
namentas galëjo bûti renesanso, baroko, klasicizmo, lietuviø liaudies, embedded. Due to its insufficient security, the banknote was not put
netgi be aiðkios stilistikos, bet secesijos stilius niekaip nepateisinamas. into circulation.
1991 m. laidos banknotas atspausdintas USBC spaustuvëje. In the 100 litas note of 2000 issue, which was printed by the Swiss
Toje paèioje spaustuvëje buvo atspausdinti ir 1994 m. laidos to pa- company Orell Füssli Security Printing Ltd, Rytis Valantinas elimi-
ties dizaino 100 litø banknotai, tik ádiegta papildoma apsaugos priemo- nated a number of mistakes, though not all of them. The designer suc-
në apsauginis siûlelis. Dël nepakankamos apsaugos ðis banknotas á ceeded in redrawing the portrait of Daukantas and upon request from
apyvartà nebuvo iðleistas. the experts of the Bank of Lithuania turned it to the left. Now the
2000 m. laidos 100 litø banknote, atspausdintame Orell Füssli Secu- portrait appears better positioned in the rectangle of the banknote. The
rity Printing Ltd spaustuvëje, R. Valantinas iðtaisë nemaþai klaidø, nors newly cut engraving of the portrait and the frock coat in which a secu-
ir ne visas. Dailininkas vykusiai perpieðë S. Daukanto portretà ir Lietu- rity feature is incorporated are executed no less masterfully. On the
vos banko specialistø praðymu apsuko já á kairæ. Dabar portretas geriau dark outline of the garment the lines change their direction; when we
ásikomponuoja á banknoto staèiakampá. Nemaþiau meistriðkai ið naujo look at them at a certain angle, we see the numeral 100.
perraiþyta portreto graviûra, surdutas, kuriame ákomponuota apsaugos The front of the banknote produces the impression of a credible

Dail. R. Valantinas
1994 m. laidos banknotas.
Dail R. Valantinas

Banknote of 1994 issue

never put into circulation.

ansamblio graviûra antros
laidos banknote.
Dail. R. Valantinas
Engraving of Vilnius
University Ensemble on
the second-issue banknote.

S. Daukanto portretas.
Dail. R. Valantino
pieðinys
Portrait of S. Daukantas.
Drawing by R. Valantinas

S. Daukanto portreto
graviûra pirmos laidos
banknote
The engraving of the

portrait of S. Daukantas
on the first-issue banknote

pirmos laidos banknote
Negative of the engraving

of the portrait of
S. Daukantas on the
first-issue banknote

priemonë. Tamsiame drabuþio siluete linijos keièia kryptá, þiûrëdami á note, which though cannot be said about its back. The range of colours,
jas tam tikru kampu, matome skaièiø 100. dominated by green and red, two colours from the opposing ends of
Banknoto aversas daro patikimo pinigo áspûdá, o apie reversà to the scale, does not create a harmonious picture pleasant to look at. After
pasakyti negalima. Jo kompozicija, negausûs pinigui bûdingi elemen- the first issue the author realised that his choice of the edges of the
tai daugiau asocijuojasi su atviruku. Spalvinë gama, kurioje vyrauja panorama had not been quite right and tried to correct the mistake
prieðingø poliø þalia ir raudona spalvos, nesudaro akiai malonaus har- when working on the design for the second issue; however, he was do-
moningo vaizdo. Po pirmos laidos autorius suprato nevisiðkai sëk- ing it without determination. He narrowed the panorama substantially,
mingai pasirinkæs panoramos ribas ir, rengdamas antros laidos pro- restricted himself with the buildings of the central part, but in this com-
jektà, stengësi klaidà iðtaisyti, taèiau tai darë neryþtingai. Jis gerokai position, again, he was forced to wrap the more distant objects in green
susiaurino panoramà, apsiribojo centrinës dalies pastatais, bet ir ðioje mist.
kompozicijoje dailininkas priverstas labiau nutolusius pastatus skan- The rather distinct guilloche of the banknote of the first issue be-
dinti á þalià rûkà. came more intricate in the banknote of the issue under review, acquired
Pirmoje laidoje buvæs gana ryðkus giljoðas ðios laidos banknote subtler colours and structure. To the left of the portrait, this structure
tapo ámantresnis, subtilesniø spalvø ir struktûros. Portreto kairëje ði turns into a Lithuanian woven fabric, which, as it darkens, serves as the
struktûra virsta lietuviðku audiniu, patamsëdamas jis sudaro fonà J. Zi- background for Vytis of Zikaras design and its upper part features a
karo sukurtam Vyèiui. Virðutinëje dalyje S. Daukanto raðtø faksi- facsimile fragment from the writings of Simonas Daukantas. The inter-
milës fragmentas. Ypaè banknotà puoðia ádomus, pinigams bûdingas esting ornament of interlacing two-colour lines typical of currency, partly
dviejø spalvø persipinanèiø linijø ornamentas, ið dalies dengiantis van- covering the space of the watermark, is particularly decorative in this
denþenkliui skirtà laukà. Jis suðvelnina grieþtà tamsaus ir ðviesaus plo- banknote. It softens the rigid intersection of the dark and light areas
tø susikirtimà ir yra svarbi apsaugos priemonë plonø linijø susikir- and serves as an important security feature: the pattern of thin lines is
timas sunkiai nukopijuojamas. Ðalia iðdëstytos ir kitos apsaugos prie- hard to copy. Other features are laid out nearby: two triangular recog-
monës: du trikampiai atpaþinimo þenklai akliesiems, sutapimo þenklas, nition signs for the blind, a see-through feature, a security thread with a
apsauginis siûlelis su mikrotekstu, mikroperforacija, specialiais, plika microtext, microperforation, the denomination numeral printed in in-
akimi nematomais daþais atspausdintas nominalo skaièius ir kt. Re- visible inks, etc. The Church of St John the Baptist and St John the
verso pusëje esanti Ðv. Jonø baþnyèia ir varpinë ultravioletinëje ðvie- Evangelist and the Belfry on the back of the banknote fluoresce under
soje ðvyti gelsva þalia spalva. ultraviolet light in yellowish-green.

graviûra antros laidos
banknote

of S. Daukantas on the
second-issue banknote

Dviejø ðimtø litø banknotas
Two Hundred Litas Banknote

Metams bëgant ir ásitvirtinant saviems pinigams, gerëjant ekono- As the years passed and our currency gained importance, and the
minei situacijai, atsirado bûtinybë turëti didesniø nominalø bankno- economic situation improved, a need for having banknotes of higher
tø. Jø kompozicinë schema turëjo pratæsti didþiøjø nominalø banknotø denominations arose. Their layout scheme was to extend the series of
serijà. Autoriumi buvo pasirinktas R. Valantinas, jau kûræs 100 litø other high denomination banknotes. Rytis Valantinas, who had pre-
banknotà ir sukaupæs tam tikrà patirtá. Projektuojamam 1997 m. lai- viously created the 100 litas banknote and accumulated certain expe-
dos 200 litø banknotui pasirinktas Maþosios Lietuvos visuomenës vei- rience, was selected as the designer. For the 200 litas banknote of
këjas Vydûnas. 1997 issue, the public figure of Lithuania Minor Vydûnas was
Vydûnas (tikroji pavardë Vilhelmas Storosta, 18681953 m.) chosen.
þinomas tarpukario Lietuvos raðytojas ir filosofas, nepailstantis kovo- Vydûnas (real name Vilhelmas Storosta, 18681953) was an out-
tojas uþ lietuviø teises ir kalbà Maþojoje Lietuvoje. 1895 m. jis ákûrë standing Lithuanian writer and philosopher of the inter-war period,
Tilþës lietuviø giedotojø draugijà, leido ir redagavo þurnalus bei laikan indefatigable fighter for the rights and language of the Lithuanians
raðèius, juose këlë filosofines þmogaus bûties problemas, aiðkino þmo- in Lithuania Minor. He established the Lithuanian Society of Psalmody
giðkumo esmæ, pagrástà savimone bei intuicija, jautrumu gëriui ir gro- of Tilsit in 1895, published and edited magazines and newspapers, in
þiui. Savo filosofinëmis nuostatomis vadovavosi ir kultûrinëje veiklo- which he put forward philosophical problems of human existence,
je, pagal jas kûrë savità pasyvaus pasiprieðinimo germanizacijai takti- explained the essence of humanism based on self-consciousness and
kà. Vydûnas sukûrë dramos veikalø, kurie buvo statomi Lietuvos teat- intuition, sensitivity to the good and beautiful.
ruose. Karo pabaigoje raðytojas pasitraukë á Vokietijà, ten ir mirë. Ru- Just as the design of banknotes started, the portrait of Vydûnas
sø okupacijos metais buvo ignoruojamas ir mûsø þmonëms maþiau was intended for the 10 litas banknote. However, the young artist
þinomas, taèiau atgimusioje Lietuvoje jo palikimas vël uþima deramà Alvydas Mandeika, who undertook designing it, did not manage to
vietà. Savotiðkas skolos gràþinamas yra ir idëja já áamþinti 200 litø submit a design that would convince his colleagues. Especially the
banknote. arrangement of the back was poor, for which an image of Klaipëda
Tik pradëjus kurti banknotø projektus, Vydûno portretas buvo seaport was chosen. The warehouses, the perspective of the pier and
planuotas 10 litø banknotui. Taèiau jaunam dailininkui A. Mandei- the moored ship looked too naturalistic and uninteresting. The au-
kai, kuris ëmësi já kurti, nepavyko pateikti kolegas átikinanèio projek- thor tried to arrange other motifs peculiar to the subject of Lithuania
to. Tada ypaè nesisekë komponuoti reversà, jo objektu buvo pasirink- Minor, such as a fishermans homestead, krikðtas (a wooden grave
tas Klaipëdos uosto vaizdas. Sandëliai, molo perspektyva, priðvartuo- marker made of one board), and more notable buildings of the sea-
tas laivas atrodë per daug natûralistiðkai, neádomiai. Autorius mëgino port city, the lighthouse; yet the sketches did not satisfy the artists
komponuoti kitus Maþosios Lietuvos temai charakteringus motyvus older colleagues. The decision was to pass the design of the 10 litas
þvejo sodybà, krikðtus, þymesnius uostamiesèio pastatus, ðvyturá, ta- banknote over to Jonaitis and to replace the portrait of Vydûnas at
èiau eskizai vyresniø kolegø netenkino. Buvo nutarta 10 litø bankno- the time.
to projektavimà perduoti G. Jonaièiui, o Vydûno portreto tuokart In a few years time, the design of the 200 litas banknote with a
atsisakyti. portrait of Vydûnas was undertaken and the problem of the motif on
Po keleriø metø ëmus projektuoti 200 litø banknotà su Vydûnu, back emerged again. As the author of the design Valantinas recalls, he
reverso motyvo problema vël iðkilo ir, kaip prisimena projekto auto- was obliged to use his brains which way to go, to be consistent in
rius R. Valantinas, jam teko pasukti galvà, kuriuo keliu eiti, nuosek- using the historiography of Lithuania Minor or move towards a more
liai sekti Maþosios Lietuvos istoriografija ar orientuotis á laisvesná sim- liberal symbol, to stress the geopolitical ambitions of the state by de-
bolá, pabrëþti valstybës geopolitines ambicijas vaizduojant Baltijos jû- picting the Baltic Sea.
rà. Despite the unsuccessful attempts of Mandeika at designing the
Neþiûrint A. Mandeikos nesëkmingø mëginimø sukomponuoti banknote with images of Klapëda, Valantinas pattern of thinking
banknotà su Klaipëdos vaizdais, R. Valantinas ið pradþiø màstë pana- was originally similar. The designer recalls: In my studies of Klaipëda,
ðiai. Dailininkas prisimena: Studijuodamas Klaipëdà, nesuradau ryð- I did not find features of higher peculiarity. The question was: to
kesniø bruoþø. Iðkilo klausimas vaizduoti miestà fragmentiðkame depict the city in the fragmentary German architectural heritage or to
vokiðkos architektûros pavelde ar gilintis á uostà, pramonæ? Vydûno explore the subject of the port and industry? The personality of
asmenybë, jo ðvietëjiðkumas, pasaulëjauta stumtelëjo filosofiðkumo Vydûnas, his ideas of enlightenment and attitude to the world pushed
link. Intuicija kuþdëjo, jog reikëtø apibendrinanèio simbolio. Nuta- me towards a philosophical approach. Intuitively I knew that some
riau pasirinkti charakteringà uosto simbolá ðvyturá, nors tai ir nebu- general symbol would serve my purpose. I decided to choose a char-
vo labai originalu. Archyviniai atvirukai ar nuotraukos ið laikraðèiø ir acteristic symbol of a port, the lighthouse, although the idea was not
þurnalø apie Klaipëdos ðvyturá jûros fone manæs netenkino. Plastikos very original. Archive cards or newspaper and magazine photographs

10 litø banknoto su
Vydûno portretu eskizai.
Dail. A. Mandeika
Sketches for the 10 litas

banknote with
the portrait of Vydûnas.
Design by A. Mandeika

Dail. R. Valantinas
atþvilgiu jie buvo nuobodoki, saldokai romantiðki. Norëjosi iðraiðkin- of Klaipëda Lighthouse against the background of the sea did not
gesnio pieðinio, dramatiðkesnio siuþeto, tad nusiþengiau enciklopedi- satisfy me. With regard to plastics, they were rather boring and sweetly
niam tikslumui ir kûriau savo jûrà. romantic. I wanted a more expressive drawing, of a more dramatic
Vos pasirodþius banknotui, reverso vaizdas sulaukë atgarsio, kad subject; so I disregarded the encyclopaedic accuracy and created a sea
ne ið tos pusës á molà plakasi bangos, ne ten ðvieèia ðvyturys. Ðiuo of my own.
atveju dailininkui daug svarbiau bendra banknoto kompozicijos logi- Unfortunately, Valantinas did not realise his philosophy to the full.
ka, o natûra, enciklopedinis tikslumas jam rûpi maþiausiai. Ne visi iki What remained from the image of the sea on the banknote, despite the
smulkmenø þino vaizduojamà peizaþà, o pinigus laikys rankose visi, ir authors good will, was just a small picture. It probably happened so
labai svarbu, kad banknotas bûtø sukomponuotas profesionaliai ne- through the fault of the author himself, who was not fully consistent.
priekaiðtingai. Èia jûra ir ðvyturys simboliai, reiðkiantys lietuviðkus This is how he described his approach to note designing: Ive always
sentimentus jûrai, o ne peizaþas, tiksliai nupieðtas ið tam tikro taðko. considered a banknote to be primarily a picture. The personality por-
Deja, R. Valantinas ne iki galo ágyvendino savo iðsakytas nuosta- trayed or the contents must be the core, whereas the functionality (I
tas. Jûros vaizdas banknote, neþiûrint autoriaus gerø norø, liko tik mean, all elements) should adapt itself, be subordinate. This opinion
paveikslëlis. Ko gero, èia kaltas pats autorius, ne iki galo iðlikæs nuo- is totally opposite to the one that currency designers around the world
seklus. Ðtai kaip jis apibûdina savo poþiûrá á pinigø projektavimà: Vi- stick to: security is a necessity; beauty is an option.
sada galvojau, jog banknotas pirmiausia yra paveikslas. Vaizduojama This radical contrast is quite natural: our artists undertook cur-
asmenybë ar turinys turi bûti pagrindas, o funkcionalumas (turiu gal- rency design with accumulated substantial experience as graphic art-
voje visus elementus) turëtø prisiderinti, paklusti. Ði nuomonë yra ists most often print designers. Willingly or not, this experience
visiðkai prieðinga tai, kuria visame pasaulyje vadovaujasi pinigø pro- manifests itself in works, if not in words. They arrange a note as a
jektuotojai: saugumas bûtinybë, groþis siekis. print design and are reluctant to introduce elements peculiar to the
Tokia radikali prieðingybë visiðkai suprantama mûsø dailininkai note into the finished picture. It happened so with the 200 litas
ëmësi projektuoti pinigus turëdami nemaþà profesionaliø grafikø, daþ- banknote as well. On its back, only denomination numerals and let-
niausiai estampininkø, patirtá. Norint ar nenorint, ði patirtis pasireið- tering have remained, yet these are laid out as not to cover the refined
kia, jei ne þodþiais, tai darbais. Jie banknotà komponuoja kaip estam- image, not to push it to the background. The guilloche structure is
pà, o á baigtà paveikslà nenoriai ásileidþia pinigui bûdingus elemen- given the role of just an inconspicuous frame. To fill large spaces edge
tus. Taip atsitiko ir su 200 litø banknotu. Jo reverse liko tik nominalo to edge with a pattern of even strikes is very dangerous even for a
skaièiai ir tekstai, taèiau jie iðdëstyti taip, kad neuþdengtø iðpuoselëto print design, not to speak of a currency unit. The motif itself pro-
vaizdo, nenustumtø jo á antrà planà. Giljoðo struktûrai skiriamas tik á vided a possibility for creating a more interesting arrangement: for
akis nekrentanèio rëmo vaidmuo. Dideles erdves nuo kraðto iki krað- the foaming seawaters, the same tempestuous sky with menacing clouds
Sketches for the
banknotes design by to uþpildyti lygiai ðtrichuota faktûra labai pavojinga ir estampe, juo and a lighthouse ray casting light on them would have suited much
R. Valantinas labiau jei kalbama apie pinigus. Pats motyvas sudarë galimybæ sukurti better than the dark, monotonous night sky.

Dail. R. Valantinas
ádomesnæ kompozicijà: prie putojanèiø jûros bangø daug labiau bûtø When the iconography of the portrait of Vydûnas was discussed in
tikæs toks pat audringas dangus su grësmingais debesimis ir juos ap- the Commission, a question arose, what portrait of the writer should
ðvieèianèiu ðvyturio spinduliu negu tamsus, monotoniðkas nakties dan- be selected: well known to the inter-war Lithuanian public, still young,
gus. looking down from the pages of newspaper and magazine photo
Atsitiktinumas ir didelë lietuviø meilë jûrai lëmë, kad net du mûsø chronicles and still well-remembered by a many an educated person
banknotus puoðia ðëlstanèios jûros vaizdas Atlanto banga, grasinan- of the older generation, or already in old age and grey-haired, weary
ti pasiglemþti Lituanicà 10 litø banknote, ir Baltija, skalaujanti Klai- of the difficulties of the war, photographed several years before his
pëdos uosto molà 200 litø banknote. Joks kitas motyvas nenusipelnë death. The prevailing opinion was that the banknote should carry an
tokio dailininkø dëmesio. image of Vydûnas in his last years of life. The engraving cut by the
Komisijoje svarstant Vydûno portreto ikonografijà, iðkilo klausi- companys masters professionally conveys the mood of the photo-
mas, koká raðytojo portretà pasirinkti tarpukario Lietuvos visuome- graphic portrait, though the author of the banknotes design was not
nei gerai paþástamà, dar jaunà, þvelgiantá ið laikraðèiø ir þurnalø foto- content with the result: the engraver had not conveyed the relation-
kronikos puslapiø ir dar gerai atmenamà daþnam vyresnës kartos in- ship between the change of light and the background, although the
teligentui, ar jau pasenusá ir praþilusá, nuvargintà karo sunkumø, fo- engraving itself was a professionally cut work.
tografuotà Vokietijoje keleri metai prieð mirtá. Nugalëjo nuomonë, If one is unaware of the authors conception and looks at it as an
kad banknote Vydûnas turi bûti vaizduojamas toks, koks jis buvo uninvolved observer, the portrait seems quite good and the darker
paskutiniais savo gyvenimo metais. Spaustuvës meistrø iðraiþytoje gra- modelling of the face is justified by the engravers endeavours to bring
viûroje profesionaliai perteikta fotografinio portreto nuotaika, nors out a characteristic element of the portrait the writers absolutely
banknoto projekto autorius nebuvo tuo patenkintas graveris neper- white beard and hair, though in some places these become too dark
teikë portreto ðviesokaitos ir fono santykio, nors pati graviûra buvo and lose their colour. On the other hand, the authors wish to make
atlikta profesionaliai. the face brighter is understandable and welcomed. As stated above,
Neþinant autoriaus sumanymo ir þiûrint ið ðalies, portretas iðëjo Kæstutis Lynikas had said that a bright portrait poses more problems
neblogas, o tamsesnæ veido modeliuotæ galima pateisinti graverio pa- for counterfeiters; additionally, a less lined face and hair would be less
stangomis iðryðkinti charakteringà portreto elementà visiðkai baltà heterogeneous and more distinct in the background environment of
raðytojo barzdà ir plaukus, nors ir jie kai kuriose vietose per daug varying intensity, while now they seem to sink into the background.
tamsûs ir netenka savo spalvos. Antra vertus, suprantamas ir sveikin- The task of relating the composition of the 200 litas banknote
tinas autoriaus noras, kad veidas bûtø ðviesesnis. Kaip jau minëta, with the 100 litas banknote of 1991 issue limited the designers pos-
K. Lynikas sakë, kad ðviesus portretas sudaro daugiau kliûèiø klasto- sibilities of introducing more compositional innovations, but the time
tojams, be to, maþiau ðtrichuotas veidas ir plaukai bûtø ne tokie mar- which had elapsed and the criticism made him introduce some ad-
Sketches for the
gi, aiðkiau iðsiskirtø nevienodo intensyvumo foninëje aplinkoje, á ku- justments. Valantinas gave up the heavy horizontal ornamental bands; banknotes design by
rià jie dabar lyg ir nugrimzta, supanaðëja su ja. therefore, the entire composition became lighter and there was room R. Valantinas

Dail. R. Valantinas tikrina
bandomuosius banknotø
atspaudus
Uþduotis 200 litø banknoto kompozicijà susieti su 1991 m. lai- for a bigger portrait of Vydûnas. The denomination numerals and
dos 100 litø banknotu apribojo dailininko galimybes ádiegti dau- texts, though contracted in size, are easily readable against the serene
giau kompozicijos naujoviø, taèiau praëjæs laikas ir girdëta kritika vertë background of guilloche structures, and the finely ornamented oulines
dailininkà kai kà pakoreguoti. R. Valantinas atsisakë sunkiø horizon- of letters serve as another security feature. The 200 litas banknote was
taliø ornamento juostø, todël palengvëjo visa kompozicija, atsirado printed by Giesecke & Devrient GmbH. The designer went to the
vietos didesniam Vydûno portretui. Nors ir sumaþëjo nominalo skai- company with his ready design to participate in the preparatory stage
èiai bei tekstai, taèiau ramiame giljoðo struktûrø fone jie gerai skaito- of production. It was an excellent school for the author; he could
mi, o smulkiai ornamentuoti raidþiø siluetai tapo dar viena apsaugos familiarize himself on closer terms with the perfect software capable
priemone. 200 litø banknotà spausdino Giesecke & Devrient GmbH of designing intricate guilloche structures, with the latest scientific
spaustuvë. Dailininkas su parengtu projektu nuvyko á spaustuvæ ir discoveries in the area of security features, such as special inks and
dalyvavo parengiamajame gamybos etape. Autoriui tai buvo puiki mo- dies, holograms and kinegrams. On the decision of Bank of Lithuania
kykla, leidusi ið arèiau susipaþinti su tobula programine áranga, ku- experts to introduce a hologram into the banknote, the designer was
rianèia ámantrias giljoðo struktûras, su naujausiais mokslo atradimais obliged to find a place for it in the finished banknote. Owing to his
apsaugos priemoniø srityje specialiais daþais, hologramomis, kinegra- approach to banknote as a picture, Rytis Valantinas did not use the
momis. Lietuvos banko specialistams nusprendus banknote ádiegti ho- opportunity provided by the company to supplement the arrange-
logramà, dailininkui teko ieðkoti jai vietos jau sukomponuotame ment with elements relevant to the specifics of the currency unit. He
banknote. Susiformavæs poþiûris á banknotà kaip á paveikslà neleido was choosing from the options offered to him cautiously, with dis-
R. Valantinui naudotis kompanijos sudaryta galimybe kompozicijà trust. The author recalls: The work with the background guilloche
papildyti pinigo specifikà atitinkanèiais elementais. Jis atsargiai, ne- took a long time too. I had a possibility of reviewing thousands of
pasitikëdamas rinkosi jam siûlomus variantus. Autorius prisimena: examples offered in catalogues, but I would not find a suitable one.
Daug laiko prireikë ir fono darbams giljoðui. Turëjau galimybæ My wish was to find something peculiar, more Lithuanian. When I
perþiûrëti tûkstanèius kataloguose siûlomø pavyzdþiø, bet tinkamo lost all hope, I finally came across the symbol of a daisy. Yet it had to
vis nerasdavau. Norëjosi savitesnio, lietuviðkesnio. Visai praradæs vil- be improved. An expert of design from the company was very helpful
tá, pagaliau uþtikau simbolá saulutæ. Bet jà reikëjo patobulinti. Daug to me.
padëjo vienas spaustuvës dizaino specialistas. The 200 litas banknote was the first Lithuanian banknote with a
200 litø banknotas buvo pirmas lietuviðkas banknotas, kuriame metallic holographic strip incorporated, which distinguished this note
ádiegta metalizuota holograminë juostelë, savo paslaptingu daugiaspal- from the others by its mysterious multicolour radiance. Under ultra-
viu spindesiu iðskyrusi ðá pinigà ið kitø. Ultravioletinëje ðviesoje rever- violet light, one more impressive security feature becomes visible on
se iðryðkëja dar vienas áspûdingas apsaugos poþymis ðvyti ðvyturio the back of the note: the pencil of rays of the lighthouse fluoresces; its
Designer R. Valantinas
while checking banknote spinduliø pluoðtas, jo atspindys matyti ir ant molo. reflection is also visible on the pier.
proofs, photograph

Vydûno portreto
graviûra

of Vydûnas

Penkiø ðimtø litø banknotas
Five Hundred Litas Banknote

Jau 1990 m. buvo numatyta spausdinti 500 litø banknotus. Ðio no- The idea of printing 500 litas banknotes dates back to 1990. The
minalo banknotà komponavo pinigø projektavimo grupës vadovas layout of the banknote of this denomination was designed by the
R. Miknevièius. Banknotas atspausdintas USBC spaustuvëje, taèiau tuo leader of the currency design team Miknevièius. The banknote was
metu toks didelis nominalas nebuvo reikalingas. 1991 m. laidos banknote printed by the USBC, yet there was no need for such a high denomi-
ádiegtø apsaugos priemoniø nepakako, todël jis nebuvo iðleistas á apy- nation at the time. As the security features incorporated in the banknote
vartà. 2000 m. ið naujo susirûpinta ðio banknoto projektavimu. of the 1991 issue were insufficient, the banknote was not put into
Ðiame banknote nutarta áamþinti Vincà Kudirkà (18581899 m.) circulation. Designing this note became came up again in 2000.
vienà ið þymiausiø lietuviø tautinio atgimimo veikëjø, raðytojà, visuo- The 500 litas banknote was to honour Vincas Kudirka (1858
menës veikëjà, Varpo redaktoriø ir ideologà. Studijuodamas jis ási- 1899), one of the most prominent figures of the national rebirth
traukë á tautiná judëjimà, 1888 m. pradëjo leisti þurnalà Varpas, ku- movement of the Lithuanians, writer, public figure, editor and ide-
riame smerkë carizmà, jo vykdomà nacionalinës priespaudos politikà, ologist of the Varpas magazine. As a student, he became involved in
këlë socialines problemas, þadino tautinæ sàmonæ. Paraðë apsakymus, the national movement; from 1888 edited the Varpas magazine, in
kandþiai iðjuokianèius carinës administracijos valdininkus, Virðinin- which he condemned the czarist regime, its policy of national oppres-
kai, Lietuvos tilto atsiminimai. Publicistiniuose straipsniuose daug sion, raised social problems, and wakened national self-consciousness.
dëmesio skyrë literatûrai lietuviø kalba, rûpinosi jos profesionalumu. In 1898, he wrote the words and composed the music for the Na-
1898 m. paraðë þodþius ir sukûrë muzikà dainai Tautinë giesmë, vë- tional Song, which in later years became the national song of inde-
liau nepriklausomoje Lietuvoje tapusiai valstybës himnu. pendent Lithuania.
1991 m. laidos banknoto projektas parengtas laikantis nustatytos The design of the banknote of 1991 issue was prepared in obser-
didþiøjø nominalø serijos komponavimo schemos: averso deðinëje vance of a fixed scheme for the layout of the high denomination se-
portretas, centre J. Zikaro sukurtas Vytis, kairëje elipsës formos ries: on the right side of the front is the portrait, in the centre Vytis of
vieta vandenþenkliui Vyèiui ir Gediminaièiø stulpams. Visus kompo- Juozas Zikaras design, on the left an oval-shaped space for the water-
nentus jungia horizontalios juostos, o reverse peizaþas. Þiûrëdami á mark, Vytis and Gediminas Columns. Horizontal bands link all the
dailininko pieðiná ir á atspausdintà banknotà, galime palyginti, kaip components, while the back features a landscape. As we look at the
jie skiriasi vienas nuo kito. Visas averso staèiakampis ir reverso kraðtai designers drawing and the printed banknote, we can compare their
padengti ámantriu giljoðo audiniu, jo atspalvis keièiasi ið ðviesaus á respective differences. The entire rectangle of the front and the edges
tamsø, ið ðaltesnio á ðiltesná. Lyginant pieðiná, matosi, kad spaustuvëje of the back are covered with an elaborate guilloche pattern, the tint of
kompozicija buvo ðiek tiek pakeista: vandenþenklio erdvë, kitaip ne- which changes from light to dark, from colder to warmer.
gu projekte, ágavo aiðkø elipsës siluetà, V. Kudirkos deðiniojo peties The lively landscape designed by Miknevièius was printed in off-
formà spaustuvës dizaineriai pataisë, deja, paþeidë proporcijas ir jis set, but both sides of the banknote contained elements printed in
iðëjo gerokai siauresnis uþ kairájá. intaglio: on the front was the portrait, ornamental bands with texts
Labai nuotaikingas R. Miknevièiaus sukurtas peizaþas atspausdin- and denomination numerals, and on the back ornamental bands with
tas ofsetu, taèiau abiejose banknoto pusëse buvo giliaspaude atspaus- a bell.
tø elementø: averse portretas, ornamento juostos su tekstais ir no- When nearly a decade had elapsed and the Bank made a decision
minalo skaièiais, o reverse ornamento juostos su skaièiais ir varpas. on issuing a banknote of the so far highest 500 litas denomination,
Praëjus vos ne deðimtmeèiui ir bankui apsisprendus iðleisti kol kas the author of the banknote of the 1991 issue Miknevièius was not
didþiausio nominalo 500 litø nominalo banknotà, 1991 m. laidos willing to continue the work and prepare a drawing for the new issue.
banknoto autorius R. Miknevièius nepanoro pratæsti darbo ir pareng- Jonaitis was asked to do that. He inherited the layout scheme and the
ti pieðiná naujai laidai. Tai atlikti buvo pasiûlyta G. Jonaièiui. Jis pa- subject of the unrealised banknote, yet he had to adjust the banknote
veldëjo nerealizuotos laidos komponavimo schemà ir temà, taèiau jam to the more stringent security requirements and to change its colouring
teko banknotà pritaikyti padidëjusiems apsaugos reikalavimams, pa- solution. All Lithuanian banknotes of low denominations were sub-
keisti jo spalviná sprendimà. Visi lietuviðki maþøjø nominalø banknotai dued in colours, whereas the bright blue 200 litas banknote from the
buvo neryðkiø spalvø, o 200 litø ryðkiai mëlynà banknotà ið didþiøjø high denomination series was supplemented with the red 500 litas
nominalø serijos papildë raudonas 2000 m. laidos 500 litø bankno- banknote of 2000 issue printed by Giesecke & Devrient GmbH.
tas, atspausdintas Giesecke & Devrient GmbH Ltd spaustuvëje. The front of Jonaitis design changed only slightly through adding
G. Jonaièio projekto aversas pasikeitë nedaug, jis papildytas tik only a vertical holographic strip. Now, upon the request of Bank of
vertikalia hologramine juosta. Tiesa, Lietuvos banko specialistø pra- Lithuania experts, the designer abandoned the horizontal ornamental
ðymu dailininkas atsisakë horizontaliø ornamento juostø abiejose bands on both sides of the banknote, arranged a highly compressed
banknoto pusëse, labai sumaþintà bendrà visø didþiøjø nominalø se- Vytis of Zikaras design, which is common to the series of all high

Dail. R. Valantinas
Sketches for the

banknotes design by
R. Valantinas

Banknotø projektai.
Banknote designs by
R. Miknevièius

V. Kudirkos portreto
graviûra

of V. Kudirka

rijai J. Zikaro sukurtà Vytá ákomponavo horizontalioje elipsëje ir jos denominations, into a horizontal ellipse to arrange the composition
pagrindu formavo centro kompozicijà. Virð herbo esanèioje giljoðo of the central part based on it. In the guilloche structure above the
struktûroje galima áþiûrëti stilizuotus smuiko ir knygos siluetus, jie state emblem, stylised oulines of a violin and a book can be seen,
pagal autoriaus sumanymà turëjo charakterizuoti V. Kudirkos asme- which, in the authors conception, were to characterise the personal-
nybæ ir pareikalavo dideliø pastangø juos komponuojant. G. Jonaitis ity of Kudirka and required a lot of effort in arranging them. Jonaitis
prisimena: Averse daug vargau su smuiku ir knygos motyvø paieðka. remembers: I took pains with the violin and the search for the motifs
Vëlgi perëjau visà spektrà mëginimø nuo visiðkai tikroviðko vaizdavi- of the book on the front. Again, I went through a whole series of
mo iki visiðko abstrahavimo ir sàlygiðkumo. Nesinorëjo toje vietoje attempts from depicting in absolutely realistic manner to total ab-
matyti vien tiktai plikà plotà, norëjosi turinio, kuris vaizdiðkai netu- straction and conditionality. I was unwilling to leave just a blank space
rëjo dominuoti ir konkuruoti su pagrindiniu akcentu iðdidintu in that place; I needed a contents that was not to dominate visually
portretu. Atspausdintame banknote tai yra praktiðkai vieno tono, and compete with the key accent, the enlarged portrait. In the printed
taèiau sudëtingø ir visiðkai skirtingø ornamento struktûrø formuoja- banknote, these practically appear as planes of the same tone yet formed
mos plokðtumëlës, sudaranèios dailininko taip kruopðèiai komponuo- by complicated and totally different ornamental structures, making
tus motyvus ryðkiai stilizuotus smuikà ir knygà. Ðis ornamentuotas the motifs that the artist took so great pains to design a distinctly
laukas labiau apsaugos priemonë negu ideologinis temà pabrëþian- stylised violin and a book. This ornamented space is a security feature
tis komponentas. Jo ámantraus pieðinio vizualus þaismas matomas ati- rather than an ideological component emphasizing the theme. The
dþiai apþiûrinëjant banknotà, o siuþetà visiðkai uþgoþia ryðkûs portre- visual play of its intricate drawing is visible at studying the banknote
to ir Vyèio siluetai. Tai, aiðku, neblogai, tokioje nedidelëje erdvëje carefully and the subject is totally dominated by the distinct outlines
ryðkiai iðsiskiriantys smuikas ir knyga bûtø gerokai trukdæ svarbes- of the portrait and Vytis. This is right, of course: the violin and the
niems banknoto komponentams. book made distinct in such a small space would have interfered with
Apaèioje iðliko neryðki ornamento juostos dalis. Ið nominalo skaièiø more important components of the banknote.
mikroteksto, persipynusio su kitomis mikrostruktûromis, ji sudaro dë- The back, as it is due to a note of such a high denomination, has a
kingà aplinkà dideliam nominalo skaièiui ir jo iðraiðkai þodþiais. Aver- pattern of guilloche structures. The banknote is loaded with other
sas, kaip ir tinka tokio didelio nominalo pinigui, padengtas smulkiau- modern security features as well. These include: a wide metallic holo-
siø giljoðo struktûrø audiniu. Banknote gausu ir kitø moderniausiø ap- graphic strip with vertical and horizontal texts, a security thread with
saugos priemoniø tai plati metalizuota holograminë juostelë su verti- a microtext, a see-through feature, a recognition sign for the blind
kaliais ir horizontaliais tekstais, apsauginis siûlelis su mikrotekstu, suta- three raised isosceles triangles, denomination numerals printed in in-
pimo þenklas, atpaþinimo þenklas akliesiems trys statûs trikampiai, visible inks, some components fluorescent under ultraviolet light, and
nematomais daþais atspausdinti nominalo skaièiai, kai kurie kompo- many others.
nentai, liuminescuojantys ultravioletinëje ðviesoje, ir daugelis kitø. The cutting of the portrait of Kudirka is professional; however,
V. Kudirkos portretas iðraiþytas profesionaliai. Dailininkas sakosi, certain mistakes have not been avoided. The photograph, made in
kad, gerai þinodamas graverio meistriðkumà, per daug á jo darbà nesiki- the early 20th century, registers only the upper part of the outline of
ðæs. Nepaisant to, kai kuriø klaidø neiðvengta. XX a. pradþioje darytoje the poets shoulders, which disappears in the white background. But
fotografijoje fiksuojamas tik virðutinis poeto peèiø siluetas, þemiau jis the engraver cut the whole of the jacket in strict lines and narrowed it
iðnyksta baltame fone. Tuo tarpu graveris grieþtai iðraiþë visà ðvarkà, substantially; as a result, the head appeared too big for the torso.
labai já susiaurino, ir galva, palyginti su liemeniu, iðëjo per daug didelë. Like in the earlier banknote, Jonaitis preserved the same motif of
Kaip ir ankstesniame banknote, G. Jonaitis paliko tà patá peizaþo the landscape, the confluence of the rivers Merkys and Nemunas,
motyvà Merkio ir Nemuno santakà, tik pakeitë þiûrëjimo taðkà. changing only the point of view. Miknevièius, in his design, focussed
R. Miknevièius savajame projekte daugiau dëmesio skyrë Nemunui, tik mainly on the Nemunas marking the Merkys as a narrow glittering
siaura blizganèia vandens juostele paþymëdamas Merká, tuo tarpu G. Jo- strip of water, whereas Jonaitis chose the picturesque valley of the
naitis kompozicijos centru pasirinko vaizdingà Merkio slëná. Në kiek river Merkys as the centre of his composition. The similarity of taste
nestebina abiejø dailininkø skoniø sutapimas juk tai viena ið áspûdin- of both designers is not surprising in the least as the valley represents
giausiø Lietuvos gamtos panoramø, be to, kiekvienas ið jø visiðkai skir- one of the most magnificent panoramas of the Lithuanian landscape;
tingai traktavo ðio peizaþo teikiamas galimybes pinigo specifikai. Á ro- however, each of them treated the possibilities provided by the land-
mantiðkai ið po tamsiø debesø properðø prasiverþianèiø saulës spindu- scape with regard to the specifics of the note totally differently.
liø pluoðtais apðviestà platø upës slëná R. Miknevièius þiûri ið paukðèio Miknevièius arranged the wide valley of the river, lit romantically by
skrydþio pirmame plane iðkyla net pats Merkinës piliakalnis. Virð the rays of the sun breaking through the rifts in the dark clouds, as a
tamsiø kalvø ir miðkø, virð ðviesiø Nemuno vingiø bei iðnykstanèiø birds eye view, with the Mound of Merkinë rising in the foreground.

1991 m. laidos banknotas.
500 litas banknote of

1991, never put into
circulation. Design by
R. Miknevièius

Dail. G. Jonaitis
Sketches for the

banknotes design by
G. Jonaitis

V. Kudirkos portretas.

Dail. G. Jonaitis
Portrait of V. Kudirka.
Sketch for
the banknotes design
by G. Jonaitis

Merkio slënis.
Fotogr. J. Polis
Valley of the river Merkys.

Photo by J. Polis

Banknoto fragmentas
Merkio slënis.
Dail. G. Jonaitis

valley of the river Merkys.

toliuose debesø kabo Laisvës varpas, kurio garsas sklinda po visà Lie- Above the dark hills and forests, the light curves of the Nemunas and
tuvà. Peizaþas ryðkiai romantizuotas ir ideologizuotas, jo paskirtis the clouds disappearing in the distance, the Bell of Freedom hangs, the
puoðti banknotà, þadinti patriotinius pilieèiø jausmus. Toniná auto- sound of which echoes across Lithuania. The masters of the company
riaus pieðiná kompanijos meistrai pavertë rastriniu (ið smulkiø hori- made the authors tonal drawing raster (consisting of fine horizontal
zontaliø linijëliø), bet tai në kiek nepakeitë idealistinës nuotaikos. lines), but this did not in the least affect its idealistic spirit. Jonaitis
G. Jonaitis projektavo banknotà, kai jau buvo gerai perpratæs pinigø designed the banknote when he already was well versed in the specifics
komponavimo specifikà, ypaè banknoto apsaugos reikalavimus bei of banknote composition, especially the requirements for banknote se-
spausdinimo technologijos galimybes. Jis á peizaþà pasiþiûrëjo visiðkai curity and possibilities of printing technology. His approach to the land-
kitaip kaip á laukà, kuriame bus ádiegtas banknoto apsaugos prie- scape was totally different: for him, it was a space into which the
moniø kompleksas. Pirminis slënio vaizdas, dailininko nupieðtas ið banknotes set of security features would be introduced. The author
natûros, ir atspaustasis banknote skiriasi kaip diena ir naktis. Auto- described his approach to the place of the landscape in the banknotes
rius sàmoningai projektavo peizaþo metamorfozes. Savo poþiûrá á pei- composition remembering his work at the company: As I designed the
zaþo vietà banknoto kompozicijoje jis iðsakë prisimindamas darbà landscape for the banknote, I aimed at avoiding fidelity to naked natu-
kompanijoje: Kurdamas banknoto peizaþà, siekiau iðvengti nuogo ralism, tried to achieve some conditionality; I was unhappy with a solu-
natûralizmo, stengiausi pasiekti tam tikrà sàlygiðkumà, nenorëjau to- tion applied in our previous banknotes, where the landscape was like a
kio sprendimo, kaip mûsø ankstesniuose banknotuose, kur peizaþas picture with clouds, grasses, etc. I abstained from a naturalistic view,
tarsi paveikslëlis su debesimis, þolytëmis ir t. t. Vengiau natûra- considered the prospects of its graphic solution, modelled possible com-
listinio vaizdo, kryptingai galvojau apie jo grafinio realizavimo per- binations of different printing techniques (e.g., part of the trees in the
spektyvas, modeliavau galimas ávairiø spaudos bûdø kombinacijas landscape printed in intaglio, others in offset, the spaces filled with
(pvz., peizaþe dalis medþiø atspausta giliaspaude, dalis ofsetu, laukai ornamentation).
uþpildyti ornamentika). The cheerful landscape of the river twisting idly across the valley
Plaèiais pasëliø laukais ir rëþiais, pievomis ir krûmais papuoðtu decorated with wide harvest fields and patches, meadows and bushes,
slëniu tingiai vinguriavusios upës nuotaikingas peizaþas atspausdin- appeared in the banknote as a vertical plane, divided strictly into ir-
tame banknote virto vertikalia plokðtuma, grieþtai sudalyta á netai- regular-shaped areas covered by ornamental patterns of varying char-
syklingos formos sklypelius, padengtus skirtingo charakterio orna- acter. The landscape suffered as a whole but the high-value banknote
mentiniu audiniu. Nukentëjo peizaþo, kaip paveikslëlio, visuma, ta- benefited in terms of security. It is another matter that some things
èiau iðloðë didelës vertës banknoto apsauga. Kitas da- could have been done better: the trees and bushes
lykas, kad kai kà buvo galima padaryti ir geriau: printed in intaglio in a much darker tone divide
medþiai ir krûmai, atspausti giliaspaude daug the whole plane into two stylistically differ-
tamsesniu tonu, dalija visà plokðtumà á dvi ent parts, which are separated only by the
nevienodos stilistikos puses, perskirtas tik á river winding away into the perspective.
perspektyvà nutolstanèiø upës vingiø. Jø Even the totally identical drawing is un-
á vienà visumà neástengia sujungti net vi- able of joining them into a whole. The
siðkai identiðkas pieðinys. Ryðkus krûmø definite outline of the bushes interferes
siluetas trukdo ramiai, net sausai varpo with the calm, even dry modelling of
modeliuotei. Pirmà kartà lietuviðkuose the bell. A security strip in optically vari-
piniguose spalvà keièianèiais daþais re- able inks was printed for the first time
verse atspausdinta apsauginë juostelë. in Lithuanian notes.
Ðiuo metu tai didþiausio nominalo Currently, this is a Lithuanian
Lietuvos banknotas. Ne kiekvienam ir banknote of the highest denomination.
nedaþnai þmonëms á rankas patenkan- As it does not get into everybodys hands
tis, jis kelia susidomëjimà savo ryðkiu too often, it arouses interest by its bright
raudoniu ir paslaptingu hologramos red colouring and the mysterious gloss
þvilgesiu. of the hologram.

Banknoto fragmentas
giljoðas ir holograma

guilloche and hologram

Tûkstanèio litø banknotas
One Thousand Litas Banknote

Rengiant projektus pirmai atgimusios Lietuvos litø laidai, buvo nu- In the process of preparation of designs for the first issue of litas
matyti visi centø ir litø monetø bei banknotø nominalai nuo 1 cento notes in the revived Lithuania, all denominations of centas and litas
iki 1 000 litø. coins and banknotes were envisaged, from 1 centas to 1000 Litas.
Didþiausio nominalo banknotà projektavo R. Valantinas. Jame nu- The designer of the 1000 litas banknote was Rytis Valantinas. The
matyta áamþinti Mikalojø Konstantinà Èiurlioná (18751911 m.) gar- banknote of this denomination was to commemorate Mikalojus
sø kompozitoriø ir dailininkà. M. K. Èiurlionis aktyviai dalyvavo lietu- Konstantinas Èiurlionis, an acclaimed composer and artist. Èiurlionis
viø visuomeniniame gyvenime, vadovavo Vilniaus lietuviø chorams, (18751911) was an active participant in the social life of the
koncertavo kaip pianistas, raðë muzikos klausimais. Jo sukurtos simfo- Lithuanians, led Lithuanian choirs, gave concerts as a pianist, and wrote
ninës poemos Jûra, Miðke, gausi fortepijoninë kûryba iki ðiol skamba on musical issues. His symphonic poems Sea, In the Forest, prolific
ne tik Lietuvos, bet ir uþsienio koncertø salëse. Ypaè plaèiai M. K. Èiur- compositions for the grand piano have been performed to the present
lionis þinomas kaip dailininkas. Jis vienas ið aktyviausiø Pirmosios day not only in the concert halls of Lithuania but abroad as well.
lietuviø dailës parodos organizatoriø ir dalyviø, aukðtai vertinama jo Èiurlionis is particularly celebrated as an artist and considered by some
didelës fantazijos ir gilios minties tapyba. Kai kuriø Vakarø Europos West European painters the father of abstractionism. The interest in
dailininkø M. K. Èiurlionis laikomas abstrakcionizmo pradininku, ir his music and art has not abated in Lithuania and across the world to
dabar Lietuvoje bei pasaulyje neslûgsta domëjimasis jo muzika bei dai- date.
le. M. K. Èiurlionis iðskirtinë figûra Lietuvos asmenybiø panteone. The 1000 litas banknote of 1991 issue, printed by the USBC, has
1991 m. laidos USBC spaustuvëje atspausdintas 1 000 litø bankno- not been issued into circulation.
tas á apyvartà nebuvo iðleistas. The 1000 litas banknote is characterised by an extraordinary arrange-
Ðis banknotas turëjo iðskirtiniø komponavimo bruoþø abi banknoto ment: its both sides are devoted to the same personality, the back is
pusës skirtos tai paèiai asmenybei, reversà puoðia vienas ið graþiausiø decorated with one of the artists most remarkable pictures The Tale
dailininko paveikslø Karaliø pasaka (1908). Paveikslas nuolat ekspo- of the Kings (1908). This is how the Russian painter Mark Etkind
nuojamas Kauno M. K. Èiurlionio dailës muziejuje, veþiojamas po pa- describes this picture in the book The World as a Great Symphony
saulá, paplitæs po ðalá atvirukø, reprodukcijø rinkiniais, spausdinamas (Iskusstvo, Leningrad, 1970) in words full of delight: On the Queens
albumuose, reprodukcijos puoðia ne vienà interjerà. Susiþavëjimo kupi- palm is a miniature village take a close look at it: it is not an ordinary
nais þodþiais apie ðá paveikslà kalba þinomas rusø dailininkas Markas village. The artist depicted a Lithuanian village in yellow moonlight:
Etkindas knygoje Pasaulis kaip didelë simfonija (Leningradas, Is- straw-roofed cabins with red patches of chimneys, poplar trees, a fence
kusstvo, 1970): Ant karalienës delno kaimelis ásiþiûrëkite, tai ne It radiates; the semi-circle of the amber yellow light above the Lithuanian
paprastas kaimas. Dailininkas atvaizdavo lietuviðkà kaimelá, apðviestà village is the ideological and compositional centre of the picture. The
gelsva mënulio ðviesa trobos su ðiaudiniais stogais ir raudonomis ka- hand, that symbol of creative power, the hand carrying to the world the
minø dëmelëmis, topoliai, tvora Jis ðvyti, gintarinës geltonos ðviesos sunny circle of love, here is the symbol of historic destiny. The kind
pusratis virð lietuviðko kaimelio idëjinis ir kompozicinis paveikslo and good hand of destiny, which has found Lithuania in a thicket of
centras. Ranka, tas kûrybiniø jëgø simbolis, ranka, neðanti pasauliui history and is raising it from a dark abyss to life, to light, to the faces of
saulëtà meilës apskritimà, èia yra istorinio likimo simbolis. Ðvelni ir centuries bent over it and looking at it with interest and hope.
gera likimo ranka, suradusi Lietuvà istorijos bruzgynuose ir pakelianti In one of the most popular portraits of the artist, which was selected
jà ið tamsios bedugnës á gyvenimà, ðviesà, prie palinkusiø virð jos amþiø for the front of the banknote, Èiurlionis is turned to the right; there-
veidø, þvelgianèiø á jà su susidomëjimu ir viltimi. fore, the portrait was no good: arranged on the right side of the banknote,
Viename ið paèiø populiariausiø dailininko portretø, kuris buvo pa- the artist would appear looking towards the edge, with his back to other
sirinktas banknoto aversui, M. K. Èiurlionis pasisukæs á deðinæ, todël components. Therefore, Valantinas redesigned the portrait without
visiðkai netiko toká ákomponavus á banknoto deðinæ pusæ, jo þvilgsnis changing anything in it, just turning it mirror-like in the opposite di-
bûtø nukreiptas á kraðtà, jis bûtø nusisukæs nuo kitø komponentø. To- rection.
dël R. Valantinas perpieðë dailininko portretà nieko jame nekeisdamas, The relief of the face, formed from fine miniature lines, is in sharp
tik veidrodiðkai apsukdamas á kità pusæ. contrast with the pattern of a rough guilloche. Another infringement
Banknoto projektas neiðliko, bet, sprendþiant ið eskizø ir autoriaus on the authors will, which had a negative impact on the composition
þodþiø, toninë averso kompozicija po spaudos gerokai pasikeitë. of both sides of the banknote, is a distinct white outline of the oval for
M. K. Èiurlionio veidas, turëjæs ðviesti tamsesniame lauke, atspaus- the watermark. According to the designers idea, the dark background
dintame banknote visiðkai iðtirpsta to paties tono giljoðo fone, nors vie- on the right side of the banknote was to lighten up gradually towards
no ir kito grafinës struktûros labai skirtingos. Plonø miniatiûriniø lini- the left side and to make a clear space for the watermark without any
jëliø formuojamas veido reljefas ryðkiai kontrastuoja su grubaus giljoðo graphic elements. The situation is still aggravated by similar sizes of the

Banknoto eskizas.
Dail. R. Valantinas


Banknoto eskizai.
Dail. R. Valantinas
Sketches for the banknote.


M. K. Èiurlionis.
Fotografija
M. K. Èiurlionis,
photograph

M. K. Èiurlionio portreto
graviûra

of M. K. Èiurlionis

M. K. Èiurlionio portreto
Negative of the engraving

of M. K. Èiurlionis
portrait

Karaliø pasaka. 1908 m.
Dail. M. K. Èiurlionis
The Tale of Kings by

M. K. Èiurlionis, 1908

Banknoto fragmentas
Detail of the banknote

mezginiu. Kitas autoriaus valios paþeidimas, pakenkæs banknoto abiejø oval and the portrait, and an obviously too large Vytis of Zikaras de-
pusiø kompozicijai, ryðkus baltas ovalo siluetas vandenþenkliui. Pagal sign arranged in the centre. Against the background of the ornamental
dailininko sumanymà tamsus fonas deðinëje turëjo pamaþu ðviesëti á bands arranged according to the example of carved wooden windowsills,
kairæ ir ten sudaryti ðvarià be grafiniø elementø vietà vandenþenkliui. the texts are difficult to read. The anxious contrast of pointed forms
Padëtá dar pablogina ovalo bei portreto panaðûs dydþiai ir aiðkiai per and translucent cavities mingles with the light forms of the letters mak-
didelis centre ákomponuotas J. Zikaro sukurtas Vytis. Pjaustinëtø me- ing them difficult to read; every component of the front is too active
diniø palangiø pavyzdþiu sukomponuotø horizontaliø ornamento juostø and self-dependent to become one common whole.
fone blogai skaitosi tekstai. Smailiø formø ir persiðvieèianèiø kiaury- Apart from the ornamental bands on both sides and the oval for the
miø neramus kontrastas maiðosi su ðviesiomis raidþiø formomis, truk- watermark already discussed, the back contains another failure, the ar-
do jas skaityti, kiekvienas averso komponentas per daug aktyvus ir sava- rangement of The Tale of the Kings. Rytis Valantinas says he selected
rankiðkas, kad galëtø tapti viena bendra visuma. this picture as the main motif of the back himself. Ideologically, the
Reverse ðalia jau aptartø abiejø pusiø ornamento juostø ir vanden- decision raises no doubt. The popular picture is worthy of decorating
þenklio ovalo yra dar viena nesëkmë Karaliø pasakos ákomponavi- the Lithuanian banknote of the highest denomination, yet it is a wrong
mas. R. Valantinas sakosi pats pasirinkæs ðá paveikslà pagrindiniu rever- decision with regard to composition. The banknotes format is long,
so motyvu. Idëjiðkai ðis sprendimas nekelia jokiø abejoniø. Populiarus the ratio of height to length being nearly one to two. It is still length-
paveikslas vertas papuoðti didþiausio nominalo lietuviðkà banknotà, ta- ened by its horizontal division into bands: the guilloche edges and or-
èiau kompoziciniu poþiûriu tai nevykæs sprendimas. Banknoto forma- naments at the top and bottom leave just a narrow strip for the basic
tas ilgas aukðèio ir ilgio santykis vos ne 1:2. Já dar pailgina horizonta- components, the ratio of length to width of which is nearly four to one.
lus sudalijimas á juostas giljoðo kraðtai bei ornamentai virðuje ir apa- Before cramming the compact square picture into a space of such pro-
èioje pagrindiniams komponentams palieka tik visiðkai siaurà juostà, portions it is necessary to consider how to fill the empty spaces: in a
kurios ilgio ir ploèio santykis vos ne 4:1. Á tokiø proporcijø erdvæ ásprau- banknote, they cannot be. The sunlit village and the kings touched by
dþiant kompaktiðkà kvadratiná paveikslà, bûtina sugalvoti, kuo uþpil- the rays of the sun represent the most clearly seen part of the picture
dyti tuðèias vietas banknote jø negali bûti. Saulës apðviestas kaimelis ir and the compositional centre of the back; everything else drowns in a
vos jos spinduliø paliesti karaliai yra aiðkiausiai matoma paveikslo dalis starry night with scarcely visible silhouettes of people and trees. The
ir reverso kompozicijos centras, visa kita nuskæsta þvaigþdëtoje naktyje engraver of the company exposed the sensitively pulsating hues of the
su vos matomais þmoniø bei medþiø siluetais. Spaustuvës graveris iðryð- painting, details, and scarcely visible ornamentation of the clothes,
kino jautriai pulsuojanèius tapybinius atspalvius, detales, vos áþiûrimus making quite a primitive drawing of the mysterious scene. At this point,
rûbø ornamentus, paslaptingà scenovaizdá paversdamas primityvoku pie- a question arises, whether this scenic picture shrouded in a mysterious
ðiniu. Èia ir iðkyla klausimas, ar tiko toks tapybiðkas, paslaptingoje prie- mist was a good choice for the composition of the note, which required
blandoje skæstantis paveikslas pinigo kompozicijai, reikalaujanèiai aið- clarity and graphic contrasts. The empty spaces the author had not
kumo, grafiniø kontrastø. Autoriaus neapgalvotas tuðèias erdves grave- given his thought to were filled by the engraver rather ineffectively with
ris nevisiðkai vykusiai uþpildë vienodomis, vertikaliai suðtrichuotomis uniform vertically lined planes. On the dark heterogeneous surface of
plokðtumomis. Margame, tamsiame banknoto pavirðiuje ðvieèia tik ryð- the banknote, only the pronounced oval of the watermark is luminous.
kus vandenþenklio ovalas. Reverso kompozicija neturi jokiø pinigui cha- The arrangement of the back contains no structures of any higher com-
rakteringø sudëtingesniø struktûrø. plexity characteristic of banknotes.
R. Valantinas sako, kad spalviná sprendimà taip pat pakeitë spaustu- Valantinas said the printers also changed the colouring solution. The
vininkai. Jo projektas buvæs ðvelnios violetinës spalvos su ðviesesniais colour of his design was soft violet with hues of lighter pink, whereas
roþiniais atspalviais, o atspausdintas banknotas ðaltos pilkos, reverse the printed banknote was of cold grey colour changing to yellow on the
pereinanèios á geltonà spalvà. Savo spalvine gama labai supanaðëjo back. Three Lithuanian highest denomination banknotes of the 1991
1991 m. laidos trys didþiausiø nominalø 100, 500 ir 1 000 litø issue, 100, 500 and 1000 litas became largely similar in their range of
lietuviðki banknotai. colours.
Didþiausio nominalo 1 000 litø banknotas nëra turtingas apsaugos The 1000 litas banknote of the highest denomination was not rich
priemoniø. Abiejose pusëse dalis iðgraviruotø komponentø atspausdin- in security features. On both sides, part of the engraved components
ti giliaspaude, aversas ir reversas padengti ofsetu atspaustu giljoðu. Ova- were printed in intaglio, the front and back were covered by guilloche
luose neryðkûs, neaiðkaus silueto vandenþenkliai Vytis ir Gediminai- printed in offset. The ovals contained obscure indistinctly outlined
èiø stulpai. Apðvietus ultravioletine ðviesa, averso centre iðryðkëja dide- watermarks, Vytis and Gediminas Columns. Under ultraviolet light,
lis skaièius 1 000 ir liuminescuoja vertikalusis serijos numeris bei re- the sizeable figure 1000 and the vertical serial number as well as rare
tai iðsimëtæ popieriaus plauðeliai. paper fibres were visible in the centre of the banknote.

Dail. J. Juozapavièiaus
pieðinys
Linksmieji pinigai
Funny Banknotes
Po daugiau kaip penkis deðimtmeèius trukusiø negandø atgimusi Reborn after all the calamities that lasted more than five decades,
Lietuva atkûrë vienà ið svarbiausiø valstybës savarankiðkumo simbo- Lithuania restored one of the most important symbols of the inde-
liø savus pinigus. Lietuvos pilieèiai, su dideliu dþiaugsmu ir pasidi- pendence of a country its own currency. Lithuanian people, who
dþiavimu ëmæ á rankas pirmuosius litø banknotus ir monetas, ðian- held the first litas banknotes and coins in their hands with joy and
dien jau priprato prie jø lietuviðki pinigai tapo kasdienybe. Þmonës pride, have by now got used to them and Lithuanian money became
gauna atlyginimus, perka prekes, moka uþ paslaugas, daug negalvoda- a fact of everyday life.
mi suþeria gràþà monetomis ar banknotais á piniginæ ar kiðenæ. People started making jokes about money from the very first years
Pirmaisiais Atgimimo metais pradëta pokðtauti ir pinigø tema. Þi- of the rebirth. In 2000, on the initiative of the Bank of Lithuania, an
niasklaidoje skelbta medþiaga apie lito ávedimà daþnai buvo palydima exhibition of creative works by Lithuanian caricaturists on the subject
ðmaikðèiais dailininkø pieðiniais. 2000 m. Lietuvos banko iniciatyva of money was organised and a beautiful catalogue was published.
surengta Lietuvos karikatûristø darbø apie pinigus paroda, iðleistas Vidmantas Laurinavièius, Head of the Museum of the Bank of Lithuania,
graþus katalogas. Jame Lietuvos banko muziejaus vadovas V. Lauri- wrote in the catalogue: Money, an inseparable part of modern
navièius raðë: Pinigai, bûdami neatskiriama ðiø dienø civilizacijos dalis, civilisation, became expressive means in the work of artists used to re-
dailininkø kûryboje tapo iðraiðkinga priemone atskleisti ðiø dienø vi- veal the negative sides of modern society and show the comic side of
suomenës negeroves, parodyti su pinigais susijusius komiðkus þmo- human relations and life situations related to money. It was no accident
niø santykius ir gyvenimo situacijas. Neatsitiktinai paroda surengta that the exhibition was organised at the Bank of Lithuania, the fortress
Lietuvos banke, ðioje daugeliui þmoniø paslaptingoje pinigø tvirtovë- of money that seems mysterious to many people. People to whom work-
je. Þmonëms, kuriø darbas su pinigais yra tapæs kasdienybe, taip pat ing with money has become everyday life also wish to take a merry look
norisi linksmai ið ðalies paþvelgti á pinigus ir save, kartu pasijuokti. at money and themselves and to laugh together.
Bankas galvoja ir apie bûsimàjà Lietuvos kartà 2000 m. ávyko The Bank also thinks about the future generation of Lithuania a
vaikø pieðiniø konkursas ,,Ateities pinigai. Á Lietuvos banko kvieti- competition of childrens paintings entitled Future Money was
mà nupieðti, kokie pinigai bus uþ keliø deðimtmeèiø atsiliepë daug organised in 2000. A great many children responded to the invitation
vaikø. Jø nuoðirdþiose, spalvingose kompozicijose buvo daugelis da- by the Bank of Lithuania to paint the money the way it would look
bartiniø banknotø atributø nominalo skaièiai, ðalies pavadinimas, after several decades. Their sincere and colourful compositions included
sudëtingi ornamentai. Buvo ir netikëtø komponentø ámantriø tran- most of the attributes of modern banknotes denomination numerals,
zistoriø schemø, nesuprantamø tekstø ir simboliø. Kai kurie jaunieji name of the country, complex ornaments. Some young artists stated
dailininkai teigë, kad Lietuvoje nebebus litø, o bus visai galaktikai that the litas would not be used in Lithuania, but the whole galaxy
bendri pinigai ir, aiðku, jie vadinsis ,,galaktikais. would have a single currency and it would certainly be called galactics.
Komercinëje reklamoje taip pat populiarus pinigø ávaizdis. Tokios The image of money is also popular in commercial advertising.
reklamos autoriai, gamindami savus pinigus, neturi tikslo pateikti The authors of such advertisements producing their own money do Drawing by
juos kaip tikrus ir apgaudinëti þmones. Paprastai ðie banknotai aiðkiai not intend to present them as real and deceive people. Usually these J. Juozapavièius
Funny Banknotes 225

Dail. R. Dovydëno
pieðinys
Dail. V. Skrebnevskio
pieðinys
Drawing by R. Dovydënas
Drawing by
V. Skrebnevskis
226 Linksmieji pinigai

Dail. J. Varno pieðinys
Drawing by J. Varnas
Funny Banknotes 227

J. Pakalkaitës pieðinys
(11 metø)
P. Padgurskio pieðinys
(10 metø)
A. Visockytës pieðinys
(11 metø)
Drawing by J. Pakalkaitë
(11 years)
Drawing by P. Padgurskis
(10 years)
Drawing by A. Visockytë
(11 years)

skiriasi nuo tikrøjø. Jais tik siekiama patraukti klientø dëmesá, pra- banknotes are clearly different from the real ones. Their usage is in-
linksminti, pakelti renginio prestiþà. tended to draw the attention of the customers, entertain and raise the
Originaliai savo reklaminá klipà sukûrë radijo stotis M-1. Per tele- prestige of an event.
vizijà rodyto klipo pagrindinis veikëjas yra 100 litø banknoto hero- One original commercial was made by the radio station M-1. The
jus þymus Lietuvos istorikas Simonas Daukantas. Kompiuteriu su- main character of the clip shown on TV was the hero of the 100 litas
kurtas S. Daukantas iðeina ið banknoto, kalba senoviniu telefonu, krei- banknote, the famous Lithuanian historian Simonas Daukantas. Made
piasi á televizijos þiûrovus, kviesdamas dalyvauti radijo stoties rengia- with the help of computer graphics, Daukantas steps out of a banknote,
mame konkurse. talks on an antique telephone and addresses TV spectators inviting
Pinigø ávaizdis naudojamas ir politinëje propagandoje. Ðtai 1921 m. them to participate in a competition organised by the radio station.
Tilþës miestas iðleido keistos kompozicijos keliø nominalø markes. Jø The humorous attitude towards money of Lithuanians has its own
aversas vokiðkos vëliavos spalvø juostele per vidurá padalytas á dvi da- traditions. In 1980 Vilius Puronas, who was the senior artist of the
lis. Vienoje pusëje Tilþës miestas Vokietijoje, o kitoje Klaipëdos city of Ðiauliai at that time, published his own New Year postcards.
kraðtas. Vienur uþraðas: Èia Tilþë, nepaprastas miestas, kitur: Te- They were designed as real banknotes that had guilloche patterns,
nai miestas, kurio negalima pasiekti. Reverse nupieðtas þemëlapis, serial numbers, architectural symbols and the emblem of Ðiauliai.
jame prie Nemuno paþymëta Tilþë ir paraðyta: Tilþë vartai á Balti- Double-sided postcards printed in a printing-house in multi-colour
jos valstybes. offset reminded of real money. Only inscriptions like Have a rich
Jumoristinis lietuviø poþiûris á pinigus turi savas tradicijas. 1980 m. New Year or Happy New Year reflected their funny character.
tuometinis Ðiauliø miesto vyriausiasis dailininkas Vilius Puronas iðlei- Notwithstanding the fact that the postcards were in no way intended
do savo naujametinius atvirukus. Jie buvo sukomponuoti kaip tikri as real money, since they had no denomination or bank name, guil-
banknotai su giljoðais, serijos numeriu, Ðiauliø architektûriniais sim- loche structures were unclear and blurred and they did not in any way
boliais ir herbu. Spaustuvëje keliø spalvø ofsetu atspausdinti dvipusiai remind of the Soviet roubles that were in circulation at that time, the
atvirukai tikrai priminë pinigus. Tik uþraðai Turtingø Naujøjø metø, KGB became interested in them. The artist was interrogated, but he
Su Naujaisiais metais rodë jø linksmà charakterá. Neþiûrint to, kad managed to avoid punishment.
atvirukai visiðkai nepretendavo á tikrus pinigus, nes ten nebuvo nei no- In 1989 the Samogitian Kazys Alminas proposed organising a large
minalo, nei banko pavadinimo, giljoðai neaiðkûs ir susiliejæ, jie niekuo festival of Samogitians a fair where their own money was to be used.
net nepriminë tuomet kursavusiø tarybiniø rubliø, vis dëlto jais susido- The artist Vilius Puronas designed Samogitian banknotes that had all
mëjo KGB. Dailininkas buvo tardomas, bet bausmës pavyko iðvengti. attributes of money this time. Banknotes of five denominations
1989 m. þemaitis Kazys Alminas pasiûlë surengti didelæ þemaièiø litas of three denominations and centas of two denominations were
ðventæ mugæ su savais pinigais. Dailininkas V. Puronas suprojekta- printed on yellow paper with a watermark in the form of a geometri-
vo þemaitiðkus banknotus, kurie jau turëjo visus pinigø atributus. Pen- cal ornament. The front of the litas had imaginary portraits of the
kiø nominalø banknotai trijø nominalø litai ir dviejø nominalø rulers of Lithuania and Samogitia and the back depicted ancient war-
centai buvo atspausdinti ant gelsvo su geometrinio ornamento van- riors. Centas notes were decorated with fragments of illustrations from
denþenkliais popieriaus. Litø aversuose imaginaciniai Lietuvos ir the fairytales by the popular artist Kazys Ðimonis. Banknotes were
Þemaitijos valdovø portretai, o reversuose senovës kariai. Centai designed on the principle of collage and had many ornaments, guil-
papuoðti populiaraus dailininko Kazio Ðimonio iliustracijø pasakoms loche patterns and humorous Samogitian inscriptions. The money
fragmentais. Banknotai sukurti koliaþo principu, juose gausu orna- was very popular among the visitors of the fair. As their author and
mentø, giljoðø, jumoristiniø þemaitiðkø uþraðø. Tarp mugës lankyto- artist Vilius Puronas recalled, people entering the fair at Ðiauliai sports
jø pinigai buvo labai populiarûs. Kaip prisimena jø autorius, daili- arena had to exchange their roubles into the Samogitian litas and they
ninkas V. Puronas, Ðiauliø sporto manieþe kiekvienas pilietis, áeida- could receive their Soviet currency back when leaving the Samogitian
mas á mugæ, privalëjo savo rublius iðsikeisti á þemaièiø litus, o iðeida- territory. In 1990, during the visit of the leader of the USSR of the
mas ið þemaitiðkos teritorijos, galëjo vël atgauti tarybinæ valiutà. Va- time M. Gorbatchev in Ðiauliai, it was planned to award him with a
karop iðaiðkëjo, kad daugiau kaip 3 000 þemaitiðkø litø buvo iðsineðta collection of such banknotes during his meeting with the intellectuals
kaip suvenyrai. 1990 m. Ðiauliuose lankantis tuometiniam TSRS va- of the city. However, since the route of the visit was changed, the idea
dovui M. Gorbaèiovui, buvo numatyta jam áteikti tokiø banknotø failed.
rinkiná susitikimo su miesto inteligentija metu. Deja, vadovo marðru- In 1991 the 4th Lithuanian World Sports Games were organised in
tui pasikeitus, ðis sumanymas nepavyko. the cities of Lithuania. On the proposal of the doctor from Ðiauliai
1991 m. Lietuvos miestuose vyko IV Pasaulio lietuviø sporto þai- Algimantas Briedis, the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania,
dynës. Ðiaulieèio gydytojo Algimanto Briedþio siûlymu, renginiams in co-operation with the management of Ðiauliai branch of the Bank
Funny Banknotes 229

Radijo stoties M-1
reklamos klipo kadrai
Sequence from a
commercial clip of the
Radio Station M-1

Naujametiniai atvirukai.
Dail. V. Puronas
New Year cards.

Design by V. Puronas
Funny Banknotes 231

Þemaièiø mugës pinigai.
Dail. V. Puronas
Money of the
Samogitian fair.

IV Pasaulio lietuviø sporto
þaidyniø pinigai.
Dail. V. Puronas
Money of the IV Sports

Games of World
Lithuanians.
Funny Banknotes 233

pagyvinti Lietuvos tautinis olimpinis komitetas (LTOK) drauge su of Lithuania, decided to issue special currency of the games in order
Lietuvos banko Ðiauliø skyriaus vadovybe nutarë iðleisti specialius þai- to make the events more interesting. Litauras (kettledrum) of five
dyniø pinigus. Penkiø nominalø litaurai ir dviejø centaurai, supro- denominations and centaurs of two denominations designed by Vilius
jektuoti V. Purono ir pasiraðyti Lietuvos banko Ðiauliø skyriaus val- Puronas and signed by the head of Ðiauliai branch of the Bank of
dytojo bei LTOK Ðiauliø miesto tarybos pirmininko, renginiø metu Lithuania and Chairman of Ðiauliai Council of the National Olym-
turëjo bûti keièiami uþ vienà tarybiná rublá duodant vienà litaurà. Kei- pic Committee of Lithuania were to be exchanged during the events
timo punktai iðkeitë kelis tûkstanèius litaurø ir centaurø, kartu su at the ratio of one litauras for one Soviet rouble. Exchange outlets
þaidyniø dalyviais bei sveèiais jie pasklido po visà pasaulá. exchanged several thousand litauras and centaurs and they were spread
Daugelio lietuviðkø banknotø autorius, þinomas grafikas Giedrius throughout the world by the participants and guests of the games.
Jonaitis, ilsëdamasis kuria originalius asambliaþus. Tai didelio for- The author of many Lithuanian banknotes and the famous graph-
mato kompozicijos ið ávairiø autoriui po ranka pasitaikiusiø daiktø: ics artist Jonaitis has designed original assemblages. These are large
lentø, maðinø detaliø, mikroschemø, krumpliaraèiø, sraigteliø. Iðmo- size compositions designed using various items that the author laid
ningai sudëlioti paveikslai savo forma primena jo paties projektuotus his hands on wooden boards, machine parts, microchips, tooth-
banknotus. Èia yra ir portretai, ir nominalø skaièiai, ir ámantrûs or- wheels and screws. The form of compositions arranged in an interest-
namentai. Ðilta ávairiø atspalviø gama, paslaptingai blizganèios mik- ing way remind of banknotes designed by the same author. Portraits,
roschemos, rateliai, vielelës apstulbina þiûrovà netikëtu panaðumu á denomination numerals and fanciful ornaments could be found there.
pinigà, sumanymo originalumu. Net neaiðku, kaip pavadinti kolia- A warm colour palette, mysteriously sparkling microchips, rings and
þus tapyba ar skulptûra. Reljefinës kompozicijos sukurtos ið daiktø, wires surprise spectators by their unexpected similarity with money
nekeièiant jø formos ir spalvos. Taèiau dailininkas ypaè daug dëmesio and the originality of the idea. Relief compositions have been created
skiria spalvai. Ávairiø ðiltø atspalviø lentelës, natûraliai nusiðlifavæs ir using various items without changing their form and colour.
papilkëjæs plienas, parûdijusi geleþis, auksu blizgantys ar raudoni tran- Jonaitis has also made humorous graphic banknotes. The artist
zistoriø elementai sudaro subtilø kolorità. actively participated in the activity of the group of artists with a mys-
G. Jonaitis kuria ir grafiðkus jumoristinius banknotus. Dailininkas terious name School of New Communication that was formed in
aktyviai dalyvavo dar Atgimimo pradþioje Vilniuje susibûrusios me- Vilnius back at the start of the rebirth. The group has regularly
nininkø grupës su máslingu pavadinimu Naujosios komunikacijos organised exhibitions on one or another subject. One of such exhibi-
mokykla veikloje. Ði grupë periodiðkai rengdavo parodas, skirtas vie- tions was entitled with the name of a famous drink Teachers Whisky.
nai ar kitai temai. Viena ið tokiø parodø buvo pavadinta garsaus alko- The artist became interested in the history of production of the popu-
holinio gërimo Teachers Wisky vardu. Dailininkas susidomëjo popular product and created a banknote on this subject. The banknote
liaraus produkto gamybos istorija ir sukûrë banknotà ðia tema. Bankno- portrays the founder of the distillery with his wife and two sons who
te vaizduojamas gamyklos ákûrëjas su þmona ir du sûnûs, tæsæ tëvo continued the tradition of their father and expanded the business.
tradicijà ir plëtojæ gamybà. The artist has created a number of banknotes in order to con-
Dailininkas sukûrë ne vienà banknotà, sveikindamas savo kole- gratulate his colleagues on the occasion of various holidays and anni-
gas ávairiø ðvenèiø ir jubiliejø proga. Panaðios tematikos jumoristiniø versaries. Other artists have also designed humorous money on simi-
pinigø yra suprojektavæ ir kiti dailininkai. lar subjects.
Pinigas rimtas valstybinës svarbos dalykas ir èia daug nepajuo- Money is a serious matter of national importance and no jokes can
kausi, taèiau linksmi þmonës suranda bûdø pasiðaipyti net ið tragiðkø be made about it; however, cheerful people will find ways to make
dalykø, o kà jau kalbëti apie rimtus. jokes even on tragic matters, not to speak of serious ones.

IV Pasaulio lietuviø sporto
þaidyniø pinigai.
Dail. V. Puronas
100 Teacheriø.
Money of the IV Sports

Games of World
Lithuanians.
100 Teachers.
Funny Banknotes 235

50.
Dail. G. Jonaièio koliaþas
50 Graþiø
50.
Collage by G. Jonaitis
50 Graþiø.

30 Vaupðø.
30 Vaupðø.
Funny Banknotes 237

Dail. G. Jonaièio koliaþai
50 ir 500
Collages by G. Jonaitis
50 and 500

Talonas 210.
Dail. A. Puipos pieðinys
Talonas 210.
Drawing by A. Puipa
Funny Banknotes 239

Banknotø dailininkai
Banknote Designers
GIEDRIUS JONAITIS
Gimiau 1963 m. Vilniaus rajone, Salininkø gyvenvietëje. Ten lankiau pradinæ mokyklà. Po to mokiausi M. K. Èiurlionio meno mokykloje.
Jà baigæs, 1981 m. ástojau á Lietuvos valstybinio dailës instituto Grafikos specialybæ.
Nuo treèio kurso pasirinkau estampo specializacijà, mano studijø vadovas buvo profesorius Rimtautas Gibavièius. 1987 m. baigiau studijas
ir likau dëstyti Grafikos katedroje, kur tebedirbu iki ðiol. 1990 m. ástojau á Lietuvos dailininkø sàjungà, Grafikos sekcijà.
Nuo 1995 m. Vilniaus dailës akademijos docentas.
Mano kûrybos prioritetai tradicinës grafikos technikos, giliaspaudë, litografija, realistinis pieðinys. Esu iliustravæs knygø, mëgstu pieðti
pastele. Pastaruoju metu dirbu ir kompiuteriu (juo naudojausi ir kurdamas litø banknotø projektus). Taèiau bene mëgstamiausia ir
mieliausia mano kûrybos dalis miniatiûros, atliktos sausa adata. Tiesa, nesu ið produktyviøjø, nesu jø sukûræs daug. Tam reikia daug laiko,
tiraþas nëra didelis, be to, tai gana kaprizinga technika. Taèiau man tai teikia tikrà kûrybiná dþiaugsmà. Noriu paminëti M. K. Èiurlionio
meno mokyklos mokytojà, dailininkà Petrà Ilgûnà ir Dailës akademijos profesoriø Rimtautà Gibavièiø.
Esu laimingas, nes turëjau tikrai puikius mokytojus.
I was born in 1963 in Vilnius district, in the town of Salininkai. I attended primary school there. Afterwards, I studied at M. K. Èiurlionis
Art School. After finishing it, I entered the Lithuanian State Art Institute to study graphic arts.
From the third year I chose the specialisation of the print and studied under the supervision of Rimantas Gibavièius. In 1987 I completed
studies and was invited to work as a lecturer at the Faculty of Graphic Arts where I have worked until present. In 1990
I entered the Union of Lithuanian Artists, the Section of Graphic Arts.
Since 1995 I have been an associate professor of the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts. The priorities of my creative work are the following:
traditional techniques of graphic arts, deep printing machine works, lithography, realistic drawing. I have illustrated several
books and I like to draw in pastels. Recently I have also worked with a computer (I used it when creating litas banknote designs as well).
However, probably the most favourite and most precious part of my creative work is miniatures, created in dry point technology. Truly, I
am not very productive in this area and I have not done many works of this kind. It takes much time, circulation is not big, and it is quite a
capricious technique. However, it provides me with a true joy of creation. I would like to mention the name of the lecturer of
M. K. Èiurlionis Art School, the artist Petras Ilgûnas and professor of the Academy of Fine Arts Rimtautas Gibavièius.
I am happy that I truly had wonderful teachers.

Naktis. 2000 m.
Dail. G. Jonaitis
Night. 2000.
G. Jonaitis

RYTIS VALANTINAS
Gimiau 1961 m. lapkrièio 17 d. Kaune. Mama studijavo Kauno politechnikos institute, tëvas tarnavo armijoje.
Mamai baigus institutà, ðeima persikëlë á Vilniø. Keletà metø gyvenome senamiestyje, prie Auðros vartø. 1968 m. pradëjau lankyti
A. Vienuolio vidurinæ mokyklà. Vëliau iðsikëlëme á Lazdynus. Mama gana anksti susirûpino mano uþimtumu ir ateitimi. Prie pieðimo traukë
jau vaikø darþelyje. Buvo nuspræsta pamëginti stoti á M. K. Èiurlionio meno mokyklà.
1972 m. stojamuosius egzaminus iðlaikiau gerai ir buvau priimtas. 1979 m. baigiau meno mokyklà. Tais paèiais metais ástojau á Lietuvos
valstybinio dailës instituto Grafikos specialybæ. Ketvirto kurso pradþioje iðëjau akademiniø atostogø, beveik metus dirbau Spindulio
spaustuvëje. Sugráþæs á Vilniaus dailës akademijà, baigiau ketvirtà ir penktà kursà. Diplominá darbà turëjau gintis eksternu.
Komisija portretø ciklà ávertino labai gerai. Dalyvavau jaunøjø menininkø Pabaltijo trienalëje. 1991 m. pieðiau laikinuosius lietuviðkus
talonus. Buvau pakviestas kurti lietuviðkus pinigus. Nuo 1994 m. dirbu lektoriumi Dailës akademijos Pieðimo katedroje.
Dalyvauju grupinëse estampo parodose. Esu vedæs. Þmona istorikë, turiu du sûnus.
I was born on 17 November 1961 in Kaunas. My mother studied at Kaunas Polytechnical Institute, while my
father served in the army. After my mother graduated from the Institute, the family moved to Vilnius.
For several years we lived in the Old Town, near the Auðros vartai. In 1968 I started attending Antanas Vienuolis secondary school.
Later we moved to Lazdynai. My mother started caring about my occupation and my future early in my life. Drawing attracted me already
when I attended the kindergarten. We decided to try entering M. K. Èiurlionis Art School. In 1972 I passed the exams well and was ac-
cepted. In 1979 I finished the art school. In the same year I entered the Lithuanian
State Art Institute to study graphic arts. At the end of the fourth year I went on an academic leave and for about a year worked at the
Spindulys printing house. After returning to the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts I completed the fourth and the fifth year.
I had to take exams without attending lectures. The commission assessed my series of portraits very well. I participated
in the Baltic Triennial of young artists. In 1991 I drew the temporary Lithuanian talonas.
I was invited to design Lithuanian money. Since 1994 I have worked as a lecturer at the Department
of Drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts. I have participated in group print exhibitions.
I am married. My wife is a historian, I have two sons.

Be pavadinimo.
2002 m.
Dail. R. Valantinas
Untitled. 2002.
R. Valantinas

Lietuvos banknotai
Lithuanian Banknotes
Sudarytojas / Compiled by
Juozas Galkus
Dailininkas / Designed by
Bronius Leonavièius
Redaktorë / Edited by
Ramutë Macienë
Vertëjai / Translated by
Dalia Augulytë, Raimondas Lipinskas, Dalia Ðatienë
Vertimo redaktorius / Translation edited by
Arvydas Gaiþauskas
Tiraþas 1 000 egz. Uþsakymas 240

Iðleido ir spausdino Lietuvos banko Leidybos ir poligrafijos skyrius, Þirmûnø g. 151, LT-2012 Vilnius

Lietuvos Banknotai. Lithuanian Banknotes (Juozas Galkus)

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LIETUVOS

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 1

DEDICATED TO THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY

2 Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 3

ISBN 9986-651-31-X © Lietuvos bankas, 2002

Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 7

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 9

10 Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 11

12 Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 13

14 Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 15

16 Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 17

KOKIO NOMINALO LIETUVOS BANKNOTAS JUMS LABIAUSIAI NEPATINKA?

18 Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla

turi jokiø priekaiðtø në vienam the banknotes in circulation.

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 19

Respondentø buvo praðoma Respondents were re-

20 Lietuviðkoji pinigø kûrimo mokykla

Banknotes are like the

The Lithuanian School of Currency Design 21

Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 23

Currency bill of the

Currency bill of the

24 Banknotai ir jø komponavimo specifika

Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 25

26 Banknotai ir jø komponavimo specifika

Japonijos privataus pirklio

Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 27

Vengrijos 1930 m. laidos

Engraving of the portrait

28 Banknotai ir jø komponavimo specifika

Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 29

30 Banknotai ir jø komponavimo specifika

10 litø banknoto sutapimo

Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 31

10 euro banknote under

32 Banknotai ir jø komponavimo specifika

Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 33

34 Banknotai ir jø komponavimo specifika

50 eurø banknoto aversas

50 euro banknote, front

Banknotes and Peculiarities of Their Composition 35

Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes 37

38 Lietuvos banknotø kûrimo bruoþai

Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes 39

40 Lietuvos banknotø kûrimo bruoþai

Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes 41

42 Lietuvos banknotø kûrimo bruoþai

Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes 43

44 Lietuvos banknotø kûrimo bruoþai

Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes 45

1922 m. laidos banknotai.

Provisional litas banknotes

Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes 47

48 Lietuvos banknotø kûrimo bruoþai

Design Peculiarities of Lithuanian Banknotes 49

Sketch for the banknotes