Russia 1803-SP FG ruble
This specimen was lot 25542 in Heritage sale 3015 (Long Beach, September 2011), where it sold for $2,530. The catalog description[1] noted, "Alexander I Rouble 1803 СПБ-ФГ, Crowned Imperial eagle with date above/Four-line inscription with value below, AU55 NGC. Well struck, and lustrous, with light golden-russet patina. A very scarce date-mintmaster combination." The SCWC records this product of the St. Petersburg mint (СПБ) for 1802-05, with mintmaster FG (ФГ) being much scarcer than mintmaster AI. The type is much scarcer than later rubles of Alexander I (1811-26).
Recorded mintage: 2,429,000 for mintmasters FG and AI.
Specification: 20.73 g, 0.868 fine silver, .578 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: Bitkin 34 (R), KM C125, Dav-279.
- Bitkin, Vladimir, Composite Catalogue of Russian Coins, Part II (1740-1917), Kiev: Moneta, 2003.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Harris, Robert P., Guidebook of Russian Coins, 1725 to 1970, Santa Cruz, CA: Bonanza Press, 1971.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3015, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2011.
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