Russia 1857-SP AG 5 rubles
This specimen was lot 3621 in Künker sale 406 (Osnabrück, March 2024), where it sold for €3,800 (about US$4,986 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"RUSSLAND, KAISERREICH, Alexander II. 1855-1881. 5 Rubel 1857, St. Petersburg. GOLD. Seltener Jahrgang. Winz. Randfehler, fast vorzüglich. (empire of Russia, Alexander II, 1855-81, five rubles of 1857, St. Petersburg mint. Scarce date, hairlines, about extremely fine.)"
This type was struck 1855-58 in considerable numbers yet is scarce in choice condition. Proofs exist. In 1886, the standard was revised to match the French twenty francs d'or, resulting in a weight reduction to 0.186 troy oz (see KM Y42).
Recorded mintage: 4,500,000.
Specification: 6.54 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 6.52 g.
Catalog reference: KM YA26, Bitkin 3; Fr-163; Schl. 114.
- 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.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 406: Gold Coins | Coins and Medals from the Medieval and Modern Times, a. o. Löwenstein-Wertheim | German Coins after 1871, a. o. Patterns from the Coenen Collection, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2024.
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