Can anyone help?

[allen.moore]

Group,

 

A little background: I started collecting Russian coins in February of 2008 (yes, this year!). My objective is to build a collection that I can bequeath to my stepson, Philip Konstantinovich, to firmly ground him in his Russian heritage (his mother = my wife, Irina Ivanovna). The kid came to America speaking no English, and now that he's fluent, refuses to speak Russian.

 

To date, I've been fairly successful (after spending way too much money) in developing a comprehensive collection of Empire coins - by this I mean that I have secured at least one example of each regent from Mikhail Romanov forward, with a few exceptions (noted below...and here is where I need your help). Additionally, I'm trying to get representative coins prior to Ivan III (The Great), as well as the missing link from the Empire period. I've been to Basok, Yegorov and Reis, and there are some possibilities. Would you, my kind fellow collectors of Russian numismatica (is this a word?) have any words of advice on where to go for the missing links?

 

Born Tsars and Grand Princes

 

1288 Ivan I (1328-1340)

1316 Simeon Ivanovich (1340-1353)

1326 Ivan II (1353-1359)

1350 Dimitri Ivanovich "Donskoi" (1359-1389)

1371 Vasili I (1389-1425)

1415 Vasili II (1425-1462)

1589 Feodor II (1605-1605)

1661 Feodor III (1676-1682)

1666 Ivan V (1689-1696)

 

Many thanks,

 

Allen

[alexbq2]

I do not believe it is really feasible to get coins prior to Dmitry Donskoi, I do not believe they exist. You could get some mongol dirhems. Donskoi’s coins would be very, very expensive if you can find some – most are an imitation of dirhems anyway. His son Vasilii Dmitrievich is also very difficult, but not impossible.

 

Vasilii Vasilievich (the Dark) is not impossible, in fact Yegorov has been offering them on eBay lately. Fedor Ivanovich is easy, but Fedor Borisovich (II) is very difficult imho.

 

Ivan and Feodor Alekseevich are easy, I believe I saw them offered on eBay just a few days ago, they might still be there.

[allen.moore]

Thanks, Alex!

 

This has been my experience, also. I have a few dirhems, but they just don't seem "Russian" enough...perhaps because of the era? Anyway, I know that the pre-Donskoi period is a mixture of Golden Horde and Russian feudal states, so that obtaining coinage may be an impossible task. Yet...I would entertain artifacts that would illustrate the time.

 

Group, any suggestions?

 

Thanks, Allen

[alexbq2]

Thanks, Alex!

 

This has been my experience, also. I have a few dirhems, but they just don't seem "Russian" enough...perhaps because of the era? Anyway, I know that the pre-Donskoi period is a mixture of Golden Horde and Russian feudal states, so that obtaining coinage may be an impossible task. Yet...I would entertain artifacts that would illustrate the time.

 

Group, any suggestions?

 

Thanks, Allen

 

 

As I understand there was no coin struck in any Russian city or province untill a few years after the Kulikovo battle (Dmitrii Donskoi). There was some low volume coinage of Serebreniks prior to the Mongol invasion. I got a book from the 80s on the serebreniks, and as I vaguely recall, at that time, there were only several hundred know coins at that time (probably more now). During the Mongol period all of monetary circulation was in foreign coins: Horde, Venitian, Dutch... Sometimes they melted them into Grivnas and chopped those into Roubles, but that's about it.

 

My recommendation is if you, actually get Dmitrii Donskoi coins get some Horde dirhems. Donskoi, I believed, did not want to completely alienate the Khan, so his coins had an inscription that was similar to the Hord coins that carried the name of the Khan. So you can illustrate this historical link. You can probably find some pictures of these coins on zeno.ru

 

I got this coin, which appears to be a Russian imitation of a Hord coin. Possibly, Serpuhov - Vladimir Andreevich? I think the seller suggested this, but I'm not sure. The date I got on omnicoin is of the top of my head.

 

 

As far as the pre Mongol period I've seen a seller from Germany selling "imitations" of Yaroslav The Wise Serebreniks, maybe you could get one of those?