rubles of Russian Empire. It almost never appeared in circulation and was only used in foreign trade transactions. Starting from 1926, coins in nominal value 1, 2, 3 and 5 were made of bronze; starting from 1931, coins in nominal value 10, 15 and 20 kopecks were made of cupro-nickel alloy. There has been a great variety of the first Soviet banknotes. In circulation were the Soviet chervonets (10 rubles) and the rubles designed to portray the symbols of the Soviet ideology. The types of banknotes of this period were often replacing each other. A monetary reform was passed in 1947 with a key objective to promote to a quick recovery of the war-suffered economy, withdrawal of counterfeit money from circulation and replacement of the old samples with new ones. The monetary reform of 1961 was aimed to change the price scale (10:1), improve the money cycle and issue banknotes of new design. New series of coins in nominal value 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 kopecks and 1 ruble were put into circulation. The series of banknotes consisted of 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 rubles in nominal value. In 1991, to regulate the money cycle, banknotes in nominal value 50 and 100 rubles were withdrawn from circulation and substituted by new ones – banknotes of the 1991 series in nominal value 50 and 100 rubles (two different types). Later on, banknotes of the 1991 series in nominal value 1, 3, 5, 10, 200, 500 and 1000 rubles were put into circulation. Since February 1992, prices were liberalized, which led to the rise in prices and devaluation of the ruble. Banknotes of the 1992 series in nominal value 50, 200, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10000 rubles were put into circulation. Money cycle in the Republic of Armenia On November 22, 1993, the local currency, the Dram, was put into circulation in nominal value 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 drams, using an exchange rate of 200 rubles for one Dram. Banknotes of the former Soviet Union, in nominal value 1–500 rubles of the 1961–1992 issue were allowed to co-circulate with the Dram up until March 17, 1994. Coins in nominal value 10, 20, 50 luma and 1, 3, 5, 10 drams of aluminum alloy were put into circulation since February 21, 1994. Banknotes in nominal value 1000 and 5000 drams were put into circulation