Russia 1761-SP YI ruble Dav-1681
This specimen was lot 31552 in Heritage sale 3064 (Chicago, April 2018), where it sold for $4,000. The catalog description[1] noted, "Elizabeth Rouble 1761 СПБ-ЯI AU53 NGC, St. Petersburg mint, portrait and eagle by Ivanov. Obv. Crowned and draped bust of Elizabeth right. Rev. Crowned double-headed eagle, holding orb and scepter, with date above. A b[i]t softly struck in the c[e]nters, with mottled reddish-gray patina over underlying luster. Minor flan flaws. A very rare, and seldom offered issue." This type was issued from St. Petersburg (shown here) and Moscow (KM C-19c.1) and is fairly common. This date is scarce. The coinage of Russia of the eighteenth century is a confusing and fascinating subject. The massive portrait of the empress can only have been drawn from life. The rubles of Peter I were about 28 grams but shrank to 20 grams by the end of the reign of Catherine the Great.
Recorded mintage: 391,000 (all mintmasters).
Specification: 25.85 g, .802 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Dav-1681; Bit-293 (R1), Diakov-557 (R1) Petrov 15 Rub., KM-C19c.4.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Bitkin, Vladimir, Composite Catalogue of Russian Coins, Part II (1740-1917), Kiev: Moneta, 2003.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Harris, Robert P., Guidebook of Russian Coins, 1725 to 1970, Santa Cruz, CA: Bonanza Press, 1971.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
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