Russia 1879-SP NF 3 rubles
This specimen was lot 32315 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $22,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "Exceedingly Rare 3 Rubles Pedigreed to the Hesselgesser Collection, RUSSIA. 3 Rubles, 1879-CNB HO. St. Petersburg Mint. Alexander II. NGC MS-62. Mintage: 5 (purportedly). No doubt an absolute RARITY, this piece has a mintage figure in Bitkin of a 5 mere pieces, along with a question mark, pointing to its extremely difficult, albeit highly uncertain, status. Though there do appear to be more than that number extant, given a survey of auction records over the past two decades, it is nevertheless a stunning KEY DATE. Illustrating this aspect is a similar specimen--an NGC MS-63 from the Sigma Collection--that realized a total of $22,800 in our April 2023 Hong Kong Auction (Lot # 44280). Ex: Dr. Robert Hesselgesser Collection (Goldberg 5 - 4/2000) Lot # 4202." This type is listed for 1869-85 and is fairly common in circulated condition. It superseded a platinum three rubles of 1828-45. In 1886, the five rubles was revised to match the French twenty francs d'or, resulting in a weight reduction to .186 troy oz, and the three rubles was terminated. Assayer НФ (Nikolay Follendorf) served 1877-82.
Recorded mintage: 5.
Specification: 3.92 g, 0.917 fine gold, 19.7 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Fr-164; KM-Y26; Bit-42 (R2).
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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