Ukraine 2002 20 hryven KM-153
This specimen was lot 985 in Steve Album Auction 55 (Santa Rosa, CA, May 2026), where it sold for $1,560. The catalog description[1] noted, "UKRAINE: Republic, AR 20 hryven, 2002, Airplanes of Ukraine Series - AN-225 'Mria' Aircraft, contains 2 troy ounces of pure silver, struck the Ukrainian Mint, Kyiv, PCGS graded PF69 Deep Cameo. The Antonov An-225, the world's largest cargo plane known as "Mriya" (The Dream), was destroyed by Russian forces during the 2022 Battle of Antonov Airport in Ukraine, on or about February 27, 2022. The unique aircraft was damaged by Russian missiles while it was undergoing maintenance at the Hostomel airport, a key target in the early stages of the invasion. The destruction of the Ukrainian symbol was confirmed by Ukrainian officials and was seen as a symbolic loss, though the dream of rebuilding the plane to support a strong, free Ukraine was immediately expressed." The hryvnia was introduced in 1996 to supersede the Karbovanets (1 hryvnia = 100,000 karbovanetsiv). Its sign is "₴". At present (June 2026), US$1 = 45.07 hryven. The AN-225 was built and flown in 1988 to support the Russian space shuttle program, which collapsed with the communist regime in 1989-90. It spent many years in storage before being returned to commercial use in 2001. Only one was built; a second one was started but never finished.
Recorded mintage: 2,000 proofs.
Specifications: 67.25 g, 0.925 fine silver, 50 mm diameter, segmented reeded edge.
Catalog reference: KM-153, Zahreba-CM.20.8.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 2001-Date, 13th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2018.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Hanbing Feng, Auction 55, featuring Selections from the Swamperbob Gurney Collection of Cap & Ray 8 Reales, the Kenneth A. Bovenkamp Collection of Ottoman Coins and the 1914 Collection of World Coins, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2026.
Links: