It looks like everyone is scared by the auction prices. I, however, believe that it is still possible to get a great deal if you like copper and would settle for something less than MS67. :-)

Here is one of my recent purchases (I paid much less than I would expect to pay at the auction). It is 1789MM:

Holy!

I only have 1788 MM overstruck 10 kopek which is quite common but 1789 - not something that I know of! Thanks for the picture.

Congratulations, BKB!

A rare coin - 25 roubles in Ilyin!

BKB, I hope you don't mind, but I have taken the liberty of rotating your images in order to more clearly show the undertype.

1789 is in every catalog. It is somewhat rare at Ilyin 25 rubles! However, it is not as rare as 1795 MM. The real trick is that I paid $500 and bought it from Russia. To me it shows that you can still get a good deal. I bought a good number of coins privately over the past 6 months. That included all: copper, silver, gold, and platinum. The prices were far from those brought by same coins at the recent auctions. I believe that you can still purchase coins at a reasonable price. And, you do not always have to compromise on the condition.

I guess I decided to create this tread to cheer up everyone. It seemed awfully quiet after recent auctions and the prices realized there. If it does not work, I do not know what else to do

BKB, how difficult is it to get these coins out of Russia? As I understand it, it is illegal to export any coins struck before 1945 or thereabouts. But perhaps there are certain unofficial or semi-official channels? (You don't have to tell exactly, I know this might be difficult).

there are no semi-official ways that I know of. It is all contraband. However, there is a number of people that travel often across land and see borders... You have to know a right person and pay about $50.

Cannot mail a coin from Russia -- do not even try. They scan all international parcels and confiscate all contraband. Then they charge the mailer with a crime.

Looks like you're involved in a criminal activity. Is this what is supposed to cheer us up ?

That seems a bit strong. Why shouldn't collectors be free to trade or sell their coins if they want?

What is "criminal" one day can be quite respectable the next and vice-versa.

Let's say that it's 1932 and you and I are walking down the street in Anytown, USA. You have a hip flask full of whiskey and I have a pocketful of gold coins. You would be a criminal and I would be a law-abiding, respectable and upstanding citizen.

Fast forward to 1933. You still have your whiskey and I still have my pocketful of gold. Guess what - you are now the law-abiding citizen and I am now a criminal!

neat looking piece.

Interesting discussion about bringing coins out of russia. Would a tourist or business traveler be prevented from taking back a few souvenirs in his or her pocket, or luggage? Do they go to the extreme of xraying checked baggage for coins? I have a good friend who travels to Russia twice a year, and i was thinking of sending him coin shopping for me. Would they detain and arrest him? or simply confiscate the "contraband"?

Hey, come on, we are all not saints if these are stupid laws, what else should people do??

They would arrest him, confiscate the contraband, and he/she can land for couple of years in prison. Unfortunately, it's not a joke, there are a lot of cases

Yeah.. he wouldnt be too happy with me for that one!

There is sometimes another dimension to this. Here in Switzerland, a local dealer once told me that a friend of his was going to Kiev for a few months on some kind of student exchange, or perhaps because of business. Anyway, the dealer told him that if he could, he should try to buy some nice Russian coins for him while he was there.

So he started asking around, and soon started receiving threatening phone calls telling him NOT to shop for coins, or else he would be sorry!

I had an "interesting" experience of my own leaving Russia, getting through customs at Sheremetyevo airport with 4 tins of caviar and money which I had taken with me into the country, but didn't declare when I entered because the organization picking me up told me to got through the "green" door when I travelled to Tomsk the first time in 1994. But this would be way OT to relate that here. At any rate, I think for now I will limit my buying activities to auctions outside of Russia.

I am not sending coins out of russia, or taking those out myself. The coin arives in the mail, and I do not care how it was shipped. Where is the criminal activity on my part, officer?

So are parcels shipped from Russia subject to outgoing customs inspection? Or the small letter like packets in which we send coins to and fro? Yikes! I guess if there is no (legitimate) return address, the only risk is confiscation.

I bet the folks at russian postal customs have a very nice coin collection!