Russia 1773-EM 5 kopeks
This specimen was lot 4400 in Goldberg sale 104 (Los Angeles, June 2018), where it sold for $54. The catalog description[1] noted, "Russia. 5 Kopecks, 1773-EM. Catherine II. PCGS graded AU-50. From the Ora Eads Collection." This type was struck 1763-96 in the Ekaterinburg mint for circulation in Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great. Hundreds of millions were issued between the Annensk, Moscow, Sestroretsk, Kolyvan, Ekaterinburg (shown here) and St. Petersburg mints. This date from this mint consumed nearly 2,000 metric tons of copper. Many survive today but few in choice condition. Russia has the distinction of being the first country to issue decimal currency, as 100 kopeks = one ruble.
Recorded mintage: 38,829,000.
Specification: 51.2 g, copper.
Catalog reference: Bit-231; KM C-59.3.
- [1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 104: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2018.
- 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.
- Harris, Robert P., Guidebook of Russian Coins, 1725 to 1970, Santa Cruz, CA: Bonanza Press, 1971.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
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