IMIS

Don't claim to know the real story behind the coin. My guess is that Russia, like some other countries at that time, experimented with making a cheaper more durable minor to keep up with growing demand for coins. Silver was still in relatively short supply in Russia at that time. A few years earlier Russia exchanged a large quantity of gold coins for silver minors minted in Paris. As to displaying bust of Alexander I on the coin it is likely due to his role in Napoleon's defeat and restoration of European order. In 1870, European order was once again shaken, and the coin displaying Alexander I could have been a gentle message from Alexander II...

Nice frankenstein. Someone had fun.

Very interesting find Sigi! According to catalogues it was not uncommon for Russian mints to issue coins (both copper and silver) with next year's design in current year. Any idea for the cause(s) of that?

Great resource. Many thanks.

Very nicely done Eugene! Is there a complete listing of GM coins in the Smithsonian? Do you have any specifics on the whereabouts of at least some other coins from the collection that did not make it to the museum? Thanks

That's OK. Coin collectors tend to live longer than noncollectors. Medical fact

Compliments on your accomplishment! To me these are some of the most historically significant Russian coins. Just imagine Larga and Kagul in one coin!

gxseries, Sorry to hear about your misadventure. I think this warrants creation of a public list of fake sellers. Had a similar issue a long time ago; ebay was helpful but the seller vanished into thin air.

It seems to me that in recent years many Russian coins that used to be and perhaps still are rare were sold and then resold so many times that they lost their mysterious appeal. Excessive slabbing also contributed to the commodization of coins.

Great coins Keith! I think a lot more people collect talers than one would imagine. I know several outstanding collections, unfortunately few taler collectors write about their collections the way you do. Thumbs up!

I share your sentiment as a collector, better prices and considerably less material. This side of the Atlantic has been depleted of Russian coins. Perhaps they should be treated as protected species. By 'general public' do you mean buyers from Russia?

Been gone from this forum for a couple of years. Recently looked at a few floor auctions and ebay. Looks like the level of activity is way down compared to a few years ago. Hope I am wrong. What do you guys think?

marv and IgorS: Thank you so much for the info.

Was it authentic?

In my experience they have some of the most accurate descriptions in the industry. Unfortunately, they provided only scans of the coins in question.