Russia 1903 AP ruble Dav-293
This specimen was lot 75320 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2022), where it sold for $9,900. The catalog description[1] noted, "RUSSIA. Ruble, 1903-AP. St. Petersburg Mint. Nicholas II. NGC MS-63. This enchanting and RARE KEY DATE engrosses the attention of all Russian collectors with amber hue on the surfaces that display no evidence of friction or wear. Only two examples of this date are graded higher by NGC, placing it near the pinnacle of desirability. Some inconsequential marks are noted in the fields, but these are so vanishingly unimportant as to do nothing to the beauty of this piece." In 1886, the ruble was reduced to 20 grams after having been fixed at 20.73 grams since 1798. This is a rare date of a type struck 1894-1915.
Recorded mintage: 56,000.
Specification: 20 g, 0.900 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Dav-293, KM-Y59.3; Bit-57 (R).
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The February 2022 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancients & World Coins, Featuring Selections from the Kings Norton Mint Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
- 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, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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