...on eBay by valeriyavaleriya71:

http://cgi.ebay.com/COINS-OF-NIKOLAS-II-BE...1QQcmdZViewItem

A good book to have if you are interested in coins of Nicholas II. Only 1,000 were printed.

I found that some books / catalogues offered on eBay are not very cheap Maybe, Kazakov is expensive due to its rarity

I wonder if the 2004 prices are still the same today for russian coins. Only 1000 readers know these prices... others millions of collectors have the ebay as a price reference... But being fair, 100 euro isn't too much for a rare book.

does anyone have another source for this book?

With a small print run, and a high demand, I really do not think you are going to get it for less. It is a case of a seller's market where demand dictates a high price.

A similar situation with Bitkin II. I have Bitkin I and would like to have the later edition, but hesitate to drop $250 + shipping for what is essentially a revision of a work I already own. At those prices, I'll probably wait for Bitkin III before I buy it again.

I think his prices were a bit high back in 2004 ... but maybe they were Russian prices? I am basing this on some of the gold coins whose prices in the book look more like what people paid in late 2005 (and the price of gold was much higher then than in 2004).

At any rate, the prices today run much higher (except for some coins, such as proofs, which probably haven't changed that much).

I Spoke with Vladimir and it is no plans for Bitkin III. I'm sorry.
About prices on eBay, eBay increase the fees every six month and I'm not surprise the other sellers not buying the books from Russia and Ukraine because the shipping fees is very high.

Thank you, Rarenum, for this information. In this situation, maybe I should just bite the bullet and buy.

There was a proposal from the publishing house in one of the russian forums to have Bitkin for 120$ (of course without shipping)
http://staraya-moneta.coinsportal.ru/viewtopic.php?t=2006

In adiition to an absolute price this book offers (first time ever , I believe) a so-called Relative price based on the cost of 300 Romanovs' rouble in XF condition. This relation is assumed to be static (which is a mute point to me).
However, I'd say the book is very nice and useful. I'd recommend it for everyone interested in Russian numismatics.

Did this actually get beyond the proposal stage? Are the books actually available from the publisher at these prices? $120 plus shipping is a much more attractive offer than $250 plus shipping.

If I understand correctly, Irina Cherpinskaya (Ирина Черпинская) suggested contacting her by email, but I don't see any email address given (but maybe I just missed it - I am not fluent in Russian and it is a struggle for me to read and understand).

After her first post there're three buttons - one of them is e-mail. Press it and write the message. I asked her for the shipping to Germany and answer was positive. So just try it

Thank you!

Hello to all !

1) Bitkin II: yes it is actually available (at least was recently) from Irina Cherpinskaya.
I ordered my copy for $120 and received it from Kiev fast and safely.
The cheapest that I saw it in Moscow was around $190~$200.

2) Kazakov catalogue: it is now sold by Moscow coin dealers and via internet bookshops
from 4,000-4,800 RUR ($155-$185).
I was considering if I need it or not for some time; yesterday I found it in an antiques shop
for 3,100 RUR ($120) - and thought it is time to buy

The book is not 100% perfect (IMHO), but I think is still a must for this period collector.

BR,
Candidate