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Ruble Run - Post them!


robinjojo

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Over the years I've accumulated several of these large silver coins, and although I am anything but a specialist in this vast area of numismatics, I thought I'd start a thread dedicated to rubles, poltinas (half rubles) and their fractions, including kopecks.

Here are two, from the fateful year of 1741.

Ivan VI, ruble, 1741 CNB, St. Petersburg Mint.  Ex Irving Goodman Collection.

KM-207.2; Dav-1676.

This is a coin, lot 243, that I acquired from the Superior Auction of February 1992.

270640719_D-CameraRussiaIvanIIIruble1741CNB_St.PetersburgMint.KM-207.2Dav-1676ExIrvingGoodmanCol10-17-22.jpg.1a15ef49a080c56b1f4022be76a5864c.jpg

 

The son of Anna Leopoldovna, Ivan VI was little more than a toddler, when, in 1741, his reign, which started in October 1740, was cut short in December 1741 when he was overthrown by his cousin, Elizabeth Petrovna.  He spent the remainder of his life in captivity, until his murder on July 16,1764. 

Here's an excellent summary of Ivan VI's life, provided by Stacks:

"Emperor Ivan VI Antonovich of Russia, was born in August, 1740 to Duchess Anna Leopoldovna (niece of Empress Anna of Russia). Empress Anna, aged 47 in 1740 was in ailing health and without a clear successor to the throne. She wished to secure the line of her father, Tsar Ivan V (co-regent with Emperor Peter I) while simultaneously excluding any descendants of Emperor Peter I from ruling. To achieve this, Empress Anna adopted the newborn Ivan VI Antonovich and named him successor to the role of Emperor of Russia. Empress Anna died in October, 1740 leaving the eight month old Ivan VI as Emperor with a German noble (Ernst Johann von Biron) as regent. Biron acted as regent for a mere three weeks, before he was replaced by Ivan IV's mother. Just over a year into his reign, Elizabeth, daughter of Emperor Peter I rallied the Russian guard regiments and overthrew the government and ascended as Empress Elizabeth in December, 1741. Elizabeth had Ivan VI and his mother arrested and imprisoned. They were kept in increasingly secretive prisons, with Ivan VI isolated from his family. He was just four years old when he was sent to Kholmogory in northern Russia. There he remained for twelve years, seeing no one but his jailor. Rumors of his imprisonment spread, and he was transferred to a more secure location in 1756 where he was more rigorously guarded and even the fortress commander did not know the identity of the imprisoned Emperor. Emperor Peter III sympathized with Ivan VI, going so far as to visit him and seemed willing to help Ivan VI but was assassinated before he could aid him. When Catherine II ascended the throne, she put in place even more strict orders regarding Ivan VI that he was not to be educated by his guards and be referred to as "the nameless one". Finally, if any attempt was made to free him or relocate him (even with documentation from Catherine II) Ivan VI was to be executed immediately. Despite nearly twenty years of solitary confinement, Ivan VI was aware of his true identity as Emperor, and the knowledge of his presence in the prison spread to other officers in the garrison. An attempt was made to free him, which was quickly foiled due to the secretive orders issued by Empress Catherine II. The conspirators were executed alongside Ivan VI, and the young exiled Emperor was buried quietly inside the fortress. This grisly act secured Catherine II's position as Empress, and ended the decades of mental anguish Ivan VI endured."

Here is Elizabeth's ruble of 1741:

Elizabeth Petrovna Romanova, ruble, 1741, St. Petersburg Mint.  Ex Henry V Karolkiewicz Collection.

Dav 1617; Sev 1387.

1441608001_D-CameraRussiaElizabethPetrovnaRomanovaruble1741St.PetersburgMintDav1617Sev1387exHenryVKarolkiewiczCollection10-17-22.jpg.b3242891dc814933a289debb72230489.jpg

 

I have other rubles that need to be photographed.  Please post anything you wish.

Thanks!

Edited by robinjojo
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That's a very nice example!  Quite often these 19th century rubles are worn and excessively cleaned.

Yes, I was fortunate to secure an Ivan ruble at the Goodman Auction.  There were multiple lots of Ivan rubles, all in wonderful condition.  The one I have cost me $1,000 in 1992, which was a lot to spend on a ruble, but I think it was a worthwhile acquisition - quite a bit of luster still remaining.

Edited by robinjojo
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Very nice coins!

Here's a proof worker ruble, 1924. 

I got this coin at a Heritage Auction back in 1991, when they held them at the Santa Clara coin show.  It came in an early PCGS slab.

46727067_D-CameraRussiaSovietproofworkerruble1924PCGS1990SantaClarashow11-24-20.jpg.ed636a5dc6b0401e6ef6cce6d76216d4.jpg

Edited by robinjojo
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Yes, poltinas are welcomed!

Here's one more coin that I photographed a while ago.

Russia, Soviet ruble, 1922.  Long Beach Show, February 1990.

Y-84

217934693_D-CameraRussiaSovietrubler1922Y-84LongBeach2-199011-24-20.jpg.0ae44a4f85ca21a97804c8b6c4cbc1de.jpg

I have some Romanov rubles that need to be photographed.  I'll do that over the next week or so.  I'm on call for jury duty this week.

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Here's a ruble of Peter I, struck during the Great Northern War with Sweden, that arrived yesterday, a day with delivery issues.  Prior to the arrival of this coin, an earlier shipment, an inexpensive flashlight, was left by Fedex on the driveway, despite my written instructions posted below the mail slot, from whence it disappeared.  I was at the gate when the DHL delivery man dropped off the package; I wasn't taking any chances of a repeat outcome.

This coin came in a NGC slab.  Shortly thereafter I removed the coin from its plastic sarcophagus. since 1) I generally don't like slabs; 2) photographing virtually any slabbed coin is difficult; 3) the slab made viewing of the lettered edge very difficult.

Having done that, I was able to get a good look at the coin.  As described in the catalog the coin has a few small scratches, nothing distracting, and the coin was cleaned at some point, but not harshly.  The strike is good, with a nice portrait of Peter I.

The catalog description mentions that only six examples of this variety are listed on CoinArchives, making it quite rare.  A look at the obverse probably is the main reason for the relatively few surviving examples.  On it is a very advanced die crack, indicating die failure.  This crack or split extends to the rim, where it widens.  Due to this issue with the obverse die, the corresponding area on the reverse is softly struck.  The reverse also has a pretty strong die crack running along the base of the legend's letters towards the lower part.

NGC gave the coin an AU details rating.  I'd say that this coin is more of a VF-EF grade, to be conservative.

This coin was lot 189 in Roma's Auction Auction XXVI, the GK Collection (Part 1), at which it received no bids.  I'm sure that the die crack had something to do with this, along with the difficulty of getting a decent image of the slabbed coin, but I am happy to have this coin, with its numismatically interesting features.

Russia, Tsardom. Peter I 'the Great' AR Rouble. Kadashevsky mint, 1719. ЦРЬ • ПЕТРЬ • АЛЕѮIЕВIЧЬ • ВСЕѦ • РОСИI • САМОДЕРЖЕЦЬ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right; OK beneath bust truncation / МОНЕТА • НОВАѦ • ЦЕНА • РƔБЛЬ • (date), crowned double-headed imperial eagle, holding sceptre and globus cruciger; crown above. Bitkin 309. 29.00g.

NGC graded AU details, scratches, cleaned (#6322208-010). Rare; only 6 other examples on CoinArchives.

From the GK Collection of Russian Coins.

1295788173_D-CameraRussiaPeterIRouble.Kadashevskymint171928.98gramsGKCollectionRomaAuctionXXVIlot18910-18-22.jpg.2563ad8d75c108347048f6a1ba528510.jpg

 

Edited by robinjojo
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Here's another coin that I photographed today.

Russia, Soviet Union, 50 kopeks, 1921 АГ, toned uncirculated.

KM 83; H 528 

While a fairly common coin, at least in circulated grades, this coin, which I've owned since the early 1990s, is in the uncirculated range and nicely toned.   It was purchased from a fixed price list of World Wide Coins of California.  Jim Elmen, who some of you may know, is a specialist in Russian coinage going back to the 1970s.  He still holds semiannual auctions.

619802267_D-CameraRussiaSoviet50kopeks1921toneduncKM83H528WorldWide10-22-22.jpg.5a25632f82c07ff9896028f0aff6befa.jpg 

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Getting back to the Romanovs, here's a "heavy" ruble of Paul I.

Russia, Paul I,  ruble, 1797 СМ-ФЦ, 'Heavy', St. Petersburg.

Bitkin 18 (R)

29.1 grams  

Obverse: Crowned cruciform monogram of four Cyrillic P letters around denomination numeral (I).
Legend: MONETA TSENA RUBL 1797 - (Coin of Ruble Value 1797).

Reverse: Four-line inscription within square. Floral ornamentation in outer fields.
Legend: NE NAM, NE NAM, A IMENI, TVOEMU. (Unto Us, Not Unto Us, But in Thy Name).
Mint initials (C.M.) and mint master's initials (M.Б.) below.

This coin is quite rare in higher grades.

1768590045_D-CameraRussiaPaulIrouble1797-HeavySt.Petersburg29.1gramsBitkin18(R)10-22-22.jpg.b37ee8d8435fb15a3dbadabd5d627cbb.jpg

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Moving along in Ruble Land, I mentioned that I have several 1980 Olympic commemoratives that I got on the cheap.  The  coins are mostly mishandled proofs, with the common white spots from the mint.  The 10 rubles coins are cameo proofs.  The 5 rubles are business strikes, also with white or "milky" spots.  Quality was obviously not a top priority.

All of the coins are in capsules in various states of wear.  I assume this is the way they came from the mint.  

1597908707_D-CameraRussiaSovietUnion10rublesproof1980Olympicsbasketball10-26-22.jpg.c6cb9e44c28b0b2baa7711826553e197.jpg

699651853_D-CameraRussiaSovietUnion10rublesproof1980OlympicsJudo10-26-22.jpg.37bc805649e4498312d91064e85ddcc4.jpg

1464800814_D-CameraRussiaSovietUnion5rubles1980Olympicsslingshot10-26-22.jpg.243c898b58b4f3156597f65690bbde2a.jpg

 

Now, back to the Romanovs.

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Looking thrrough some misc folders I discovered one Russian 2 Ruble

Commemorative issue

The 55th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945

Series: The Hero City

Obverse

In the center - the indication of the face value of the coin in two lines: "2 РУБЛЯ" (2 RUBLES), lower - the inscription "БАНК РОССИИ" (BANK OF RUSSIA), under it - the date "2000", to the left and to the right - a stylized twig of a plant.

Reverse

Two lorries moving through the ice, to the left - the Gold Star Medal, to the right - a road-sign, a column of water and ice-splinters after a shell-burst, in the background - outlines of the spire of the Admiralty, at the bottom - the inscription along the rim: "ЛЕНИНГРАД" (LENINGRAD).

 

DSC01340.jpg

DSC01341 - Copy.jpg

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Here's my Peter II ruble, 1727.  His rubles tend to be quite crude, generally speaking, with poorly prepared flans and uneven strikes.  This example, in addition to having been cleaned (now re-toning) also exhibits some flan roughness and a somewhat weak center on the obverse.  Could this be due in part to a worn die?  Given the strong center on the reverse, perhaps this is the case, but the overall wear (VF, cleaned and with some small scratches) does not make this a definitive observation.

Peter II's rubles tend to be more readily available.  They generally command somewhat lower prices compared to Peter I's coins due no doubt to the popularity of his coinage.  Their less attractive appearance is an additional factor, I think, hindered additionally by deteriorated dies.  Of course there are exceptions, especially for well stuck attractive high grade examples. 

Russia Peter II, ruble, 1727 CHE, St Petersburg Mint.

 KM.183; Dav.1667

28.53 grams

Peter II was only 14 at the time of his death in 1730.

I think this coin would grade cleaned VF for this type.

1267710769_D-CameraRussiaPeterIIruble1727CHEStPetersburgMintKM.183Dav.166728.53g10-27-22.jpg.1614ae8d267591b6085a3a2d44e8d449.jpg

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Moving along, here is a coin that I purchased from a Brazilian coin dealer from Rio de Janeiro several years ago.

Russia,  Alexander I, ruble, 1825,  Saint-Petersburg (C.Π.Б.), ΠД) (Mint Master  Paul Danilov).

Davenport 281, KM-130

20.7 grams

Alexander I's rubles are fairly easy to obtain, especially in the mid grades of fine to very fine, even extremely fine for some dates.  Any coin approaching uncirculated commands a major premium.

1825 was Alexander I's final year, dying in December.

2039512411_D-CameraRussiaruble1825AlexanderISaint-Ptersbourg(C...))(MintMasterPaulDanilov)Davenport281KM-13020.7g10-30-22.jpg.5d6ca1e8a29f009ddd7b12b198249edd.jpg

I have a few more somewhere....I may need to use a GPS to locate them.

Edited by robinjojo
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It's a cloudy day today, with some light rain on and off, which lends to the November light a quality of subdued feelings on my part, more of an inner reflection.  So, having played Chopin's Piano Concerto 1 and now listening to a recording of Tchaikovsky's  "The Seasons" what better reason than post another ruble!

This is a ruble Empress Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740).  Anna succeeded her uncle, Peter II in 1730.  Her reign was marked with a continuing westernization of Russia that was envisioned by Peter I.  However, The Secret Office of Investigation was reinstituted, with the mission to punish people convicted of political crimes, marking what is  often referred to by some historians as the "Dark Era" within Russia.

568462586_AnnaIoannovna11-5-22.png.92fae79ea2f55747168be04f9ae13e63.png

 

This coin of 1733 is definitely mid-grade, cleaned VF with some scattered scratches.  The strike is quite bold and the metal quality is decent for a .802 fineness coin.

Russia, Anna Ioannovna, ruble,1733.  Kadashevsky mint, Moscow.

KM# 192.2

25.7 grams

Obverse
Portrait of Empress Anna. Without a brooch on the chest.

Script: Cyrillic

Lettering: Б∙М∙АННАIИМПЕРАТРИЦА∙IСАМОДЕРЖИЦА∙ВСЕРОСИСКАЯ

Translation: By God’s grace Anna Empress and Autocrat of all Russia

Reverse
Crowned double-headed eagle encircled by the legend. Value, date.

Script: Cyrillic

Lettering: МОНЕТА РƔБЛЬ 1733

Translation: Coin Ruble

1884701435_D-CameraRussiaAnnaIoannovnarubleKadashevskyMintMoscowKM192_225.7g11-5-22.jpg.42a1828d008a6635eee4727dc57e85f1.jpg

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7 minutes ago, robinjojo said:

This is the nicest of my Cyrillic dated rubles of Peter I, photographed today.

Russia, Peter I ,ruble, 1721, Moscow mint.

KM 157.5, Uzd 599

27.81 grams

1134163391_D-CameraRussiaPeterIruble1721MoscowmintKM157.5Uzd59927.81grams11-7-22.jpg.832640022be4707ae191aa8b86b2acd8.jpg

 

Gorgeous coin. I've been looking to buy Russian portrait coins but they are very difficult to get in good condition without a lot of money.

This is a nice cheap Ruble. I think I was even given it as part of another order. It was issued by the Soviet Union in 1991, and so demonetised the year after.

Soviet Union Ruble, 1991
image.png.906aa958fa5bf03eb695f3b7306df83d.png
Government Bank Issue, Leningrad. Copper-nickel, 21mm, 3.7g. Kremlin Tower and Dome; ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ БАНК · СССР ·. 1 РУБЛЬ flanked by sprigs, ЛМД, 1991. Reeded edge (Y 293).

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