Russia 1835-SP 12 rubles
This specimen was lot 25372 in Heritage sale 3024 (Chicago, April 2013), where it sold for $94,000. The catalog description[1] noted, "Exceedingly Rare Platinum 12 Roubles 1835. Nicholas I platinum 12 Roubles 1835 СПБ, Crowned double-headed Imperial eagle / Date and value in circle, AU55 NGC. Reflective fields with a bold strike. The color is a nice silvery-gray, and light contact marks are noted. The minting of platinum 12 Roubles began in 1830 and ended in 1845 when all platinum coins were recalled, and melted. Very few survived of the original mintage. This is particular[l]y noteworthy for the 12 Roubles, as many had tiny mintages, including the 1835, with an original listed mintage of 127 pieces. The surviving numbers of this issue must be very, very small." This type was struck 1830-45 and is the rarest and most glamorous of the platinum denominations of three, six and twelve rubles. So far as is known, Russia is the only country ever to attempt to strike platinum for circulation with this series issued 1829-45. The experiment was not a success as the metal is as hard as nickel, making it difficult to strike, and its price kept dropping relative to gold, discounting the value of the coin. In fact, platinum was used extensively by counterfeiters in the nineteenth century to make fake gold coins as the metal has nearly the same density.
Recorded mintage: 127.
Specification: 41.41 g, platinum, 1.331 troy oz APW.
Catalog reference: Bitkin 44, Fr-158, KM C179.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3024, featuring the Kairos and Elizabeth McPhall Charters Collections, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2013.
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