Armavir 1918 5 rubles
The first specimen was lot 5693 in Künker sale 386 (Osnabrück, March 2023), where it sold for €1,500 (about US$1,938 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"RUSSLAND, KAUKASUS, Armavir. Ku.-5 Rubel 1918. Selten, besonders in dieser Erhaltung. Vorzüglich. (Russia, Caucasus, Armavir, copper five rubles of 1918. Scarce in this quality, extremely fine.)"
The second specimen was lot 74562 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2023), where it sold for $1,020. The catalog description[2] noted, "RUSSIA. Civil War. White Movement. Copper 5 Rubles Token, 1918. Armavir State Bank. NGC AU Details--Cleaned. Emanating from the last stronghold of the White Army in their stand against communism before being conquered by the Bolsheviks, thus the last coinage with a link to Imperial Russia. Struck from salvaged roofing, plumbing, and other sources of scrap in January 1918. Despite the noted cleaning, an attractive example of the type, with light tan-brown surfaces. From the Sigma Collection." This scarce and enigmatic issue was minted in by the Whites in their losing struggle against the Communists after World War One. Armavir is in the Russian Caucasus east of the Black Sea. One and three rubles also exist.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 9 g, copper, 31 mm diameter, this specimen 9.12 g.
Catalog reference: KM 3, Bitkin 6 (R1); Brekke-4.
- Bitkin, Vladimir, Composite Catalogue of Russian Coins, Part II (1740-1917), Kiev: Moneta, 2003.
- Brekke, B. F., The Copper Coinage of Imperial Russia, 1700-1917, New York, Galerie des Monnaies, 1977, with 1987 supplement.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 386: Brakteaten | Mainz | Bibliothek Prof. Dr. Niklot Klüßendorf | Mittelalter und Neuzeit | Goldprägungen | Deutsche Münzen ab 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2023.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, February 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the David Sterling Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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