Russia (1702) 1/4 ruble
This specimen was lot 5 in Sincona sale 12 (Zürich, October 2013), where it sold for 80,000 CHF (about US$103,470 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "Polupoltinnik 1702, Kadashevsky Mint. Very rare. 50 roubles according to Petrov. 40 roubles acc. to Trapeznikov. About extremely fine." This is the first quarter ruble listed for the eighteenth century. Larger issues were made starting in the 1740's when the denomination becomes fairly common. Altho Russia was nominally on a decimal system, this coin being a quarter of a ruble or twenty-five kopeks, we may be sure that the peasants who used this coin called it a polupoltinnik.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 7 g, .824 fine silver, .185 troy oz ASW, this specimen 6.88 g.
Catalog reference: Bitkin 706 (R2). Severin 56. GM 7.8. Diakov 46 (R2). KM-105.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Bitkin, Vladimir, Composite Catalogue of Russian Coins, Part I (1699-1740), Kiev: Moneta, 2003.
- [1]Auktion 12: the SINCONA Collection, part 2, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2013.
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