Hello,

I've got this 1992 Ukrainian 25 Kop piece. Please take a look at the trident on the shield. The trident is sunk into the shield, not raised as on the current Ukrainian issues. I was told that this was one of the first patterns, but I have not seen it in any catalogs. I would like to know if what I was told is true, and any additional information, such as how common are these coins are?


http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/5438/uk...epatternpa9.jpg

http://img205.imageshack.us/my.php?image=u...epatternpa9.jpg


By alexbq2

Thanks

The Hryven and Kopiyok coins were not released into circulation in Ukraine until 1996 when the Hryvnia replaced the Karbovnets as the currency. The coins were minted in Kyiv and Luhansk beginning in 1992, and because there really seemed to be no real coordination by the authorities minting them, there are numerous varieties that were produced. The smaller coins, ie 10 and 25 Kopiyok seem to have the most varieties, and while in the West they might be considered patterns, there they were just released into circulation along with coins that really were minted in much larger quantities. It is kind of interesting going through your change in Ukraine, because I got different varieties of the 10 and 25 Kopiyok coins especially the 1994 and 1996 dates all the time. With the 2 Kopiyok, for some reason that coin was produced in stainless steel some years, and in aluminium in others, but the 1 Kopiyok has only been made in stainless steel.

I know all these, or most anyway varieties, are listed in the Ukrainian coin catalog that can be purchased at the National Bank in Kyiv, but I don't have it yet.