Russia 1792-EM 5 kopeks
This specimen was lot 8151 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2022), where it sold for $168. The catalog description[1] noted, "RUSSIA. 5 Kopeks, 1792-EM. Ekaterinburg Mint. Catherine II 'the Great'. PCGS AU-58. A bold and handsome example of the type, with sharp detail throughout, good centering, and a strong red-brick color in the fields. A few pits are noted by the right eagle wing, which appear to be lamination errors." This type was struck 1763-96 in the Ekaterinburg mint for circulation in Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great. Over a billion were issued between the Annensk, Moscow, Sestroretsk, Kolyvan, Ekaterinburg and St. Petersburg mints. The mintage noted below consumed 1,340 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: 26,177,000.
Specification: 51.19 g, copper.
Catalog reference: KM-C59.3; Bit-646.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Bitkin, Vladimir, Composite Catalogue of Russian Coins, Part II (1740-1917), Kiev: Moneta, 2003.
- Harris, Robert P., Guidebook of Russian Coins, 1725 to 1970, Santa Cruz, CA: Bonanza Press, 1971.
- Brekke, B. F., The Copper Coinage of Imperial Russia, 1700-1917, New York, Galerie des Monnaies, 1977, with 1987 supplement.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 NYINC Sale: World and Ancient Coins, featuring the Mark and Lottie Salton Collection and the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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