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Sincona 19 (The SINCONA Collection - Part 3)


IgorS

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Thanks for the link, Igor!

 

Not too many coins of Nicholas II, but great quality there is. A good thing that I don't collect the proofs, or I'd be in big trouble here! :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Does anyone know if coins can be easily shipped from Switzerland to Belarus or Kazakhstan? Do Belarus and Kazakhstan have similar to Russia regulations?

Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia are members of the Customs Union (Tamozhenny Soyuz; TS) and have uniform customs regulations both for export and import.

So importing coins which are of "cultural value" (according to the law these are any coins which are older than 50 years) by any kind of postage (including express mail) or cargo is against the law.

"Cultural values" can only be imported into countries of TS being carried by person, filled into customs declaration, without any customs fees or taxes.

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Here is an article written by Anonymous related to a coin in Sincona 19.

 

“Ukaznaya” or Pattern Siberian 1764 2 kopeks piece.

 

Description: Russia, Catherine II 1762-1796, two kopeks ( pattern), copper 1764, St

 

Petersburg Mint.

 

In catalog by Bitkin this coin is not published.

 

Obv: In a wreath of laurel and palm branches tied with a ribbon on the bottom, below the

 

Imperial Crown is a cipher of Empress Catherine II, formed by the interlocked letters “E”

 

and Roman “II” in floral design with a toothed circular border.

 

Rx: Two sables are standing facing each other on their hind legs on a striped square plate

 

and are holding an oval shield decorated with 8-rays (with 5 visible triangular spikes) city

 

crown in their front paws. The shield is decorated on the top, left and the bottom with the

 

top decorated with a branch of possibly Siberian Pine, bottom decorated with uniformly

 

curled curves, possibly tops of the folding waives. On the shield there is a legend “ДВЕ

 

/ КОПЕ / ИКИ / 1764” (two / kope/ ks / 1764). Above the crown is a 4 petal rosette,

 

dividing the “СИБИРСКАЯ МОНЕТА” (Siberian Coin) circular legend, all in toothed

 

circular border.

 

Edge: “КОЛЫВАНСКАЯ МЕДЬ” (Kolyvan Copper) legend divided into two parts

 

with two decorative elements and a colon between them repeating twice. Each decorative

 

element is represented as diamond-shaped stylized flower of four figural petals

 

alternating with four stamens and a round central part.

 

As we know, one of the specific elements of the Russian monetary system of the

 

Imperial period is the practice of specific issues intended for circulation in very specific

 

geographically limited regions. In modern numismatics they are called Regional or

 

National Issues. In the 18th century, they were coins struck for Baltic Provinces –

 

“Levonesy” and also Siberian and Crimean coins. In 19th century, they were coins

 

intended for Georgia, Poland and Finland.

 

The largest area of distribution had Siberian coins, whose area of circulation was from

 

east of Ural Mountains, from the city of Tary (on Irtysh River) all the way to Kamchatka.

 

Issue of that copper series of six denominations from 10 kopeks to polushka, organized

 

in Southern Siberia on Altay, was due to the remote location of Mints in the European

 

part of Russia as well as the need to use copper left over at Kolyvan-Voskresensk

 

Manufactures after silver refinery from the Kolyvan ore. That copper still contained

 

some amounts of noble metals, silver and gold, which was not economically wise at that

 

time to refine further and therefore it was decided to use that copper for special coinage

 

intended to circulate in Siberia with 25 roubles out of pood of copper (instead of 16

 

roubles out of pood as it was for the standard coinage).

 

In the fall of 1766 at the specially built Mint located on the banks of the river Nizhny

 

Susun, right tributary to Ob River, the coinage of Siberian coin was started. As a sourse

 

of raw material for the production of those coins, the abovementioned special copper

 

with insignificant amounts of silver and gold from Kolyvan-Voskresensk Manufactures

 

was used, which in the beginning was indicated with the «КОЛЫВАНСКАЯ МЕДЬ»

 

edge description placed on three higher denominations and from 1767 as KM initials

 

on obverse of all coins under the cipher of Catherine II. Their coinage lasted until 1781

 

when, due to improvement in refining of noble metals from copper, it was decided to

 

change the coinage of the Susun Mint to Regular National coinage without taking into

 

account gold and silver content in Altay copper. The total of 3.6 million roubles of

 

Siberian coins was struck at the Susun Mint during that decade and a half.

 

Despite the fact that the first coins struck at the Susun mint were dated 1766, several

 

samples of the same “Siberian” design, with earlier dates 1763-1765 are known in

 

numismatics. Among them are novodel coins as well as genuine, original strikes,

 

without a doubt. The main visual criteria for determination of coin with those dates as

 

“original” would be the manner of the edge design, the idea of which can be seen in

 

the catalog by V.V. Uzdenikov “Coins of Russia” (on the page 398 of the 3rd

 

in the 2004 depiction of the edge design of original and novodel coins of 10-, 5- and 2-

 

kopeks denominations are presented). It is not difficult to see that novodel Siberian coins

 

of three higher denominations, despite attempts to make it as close to the original as

 

possible with the edge legend just as on first Susun 10-, 5- and 2-kopeks pointing to the

 

specific “manufacturing brand” of metal is “Kolyvan Copper”, the elements of the legend

 

dividing the words are not the same by design and structure as the original ones.

 

The correctly designed edge is exactly what allows us to consider coins dated earlier than

 

that established date original strikes and call them original Siberian design. They are

 

coins of all 6 denominations dated 1764 as well as a 5-kopek coin dated 1763 (according

 

to V.V. Uzdenikov). Their design is absolutely identical to those first coins struck at

 

the Susun mint and therefore should be considered as a pattern or more correctly as

 

sample coins, and the place of their “birth” is Petersburg Mint that is reflected in Ukaz

 

of Chancellery of Catherine II dated November 23, 1763 directed to Chancellery of

 

Kolyvan-Voskresensky Mining Chief, in which, for example, “Her Imperial Majesty

 

Highest testing at the local Mint of struck and cancelled sample coins” is mentioned. In

 

the abovementioned catalog by V.V. Uzdenikov, a more compressed version of the same

 

is placed: “Genuine coins of 1763-1764 were struck at Petersburg Mint as samples for

 

Susun Mint” (page 398).

 

We can assume that the production of Siberian coins at Petersburg Mint was

 

implemented in two steps with a small time interval between them. It is possible that

 

for the convenience of comparison with the highest and most common denomination of

 

standard national copper coins – 5 kopek and in order to have opportunity with the result

 

of comparison to make fast and appropriate conclusions regarding future coinage and

 

implement corrections if necessary, the Siberian 5 kopek pieces were struck first with the

 

date 1763, and some time later the full set of all denominations with the date 1764. After

 

that some of the struck coins were drilled and attached to the appropriate documents

 

and sent to the “Chancellery of Kolyvan-Voskresensky Mining Chief” and possibly to

 

some other departments and offices. Unused samples, which originally were intended to

 

be attached to the documents are customarily referred to as “ukazniye” as in “ukaz” (a

 

letter of direction, a document), were left at the Petersburg Mint. One of such “ukaznaya”

 

sample Siberian coins of 2 kopeks denomination dated 1764 known at the present time

 

in a singular sample and previously unknown in catalogs, is offered at the auction of the

 

numismatic firm “Sincona”.

 

Sufficiently convincing evidence that above mentioned 2 kopek is an unused sample

 

coin could be found on the coin itself. On the reverse side, between the spikes of the

 

city crown on top of the shield, and to the left of central spike, there is a slight trail of

 

an impact made by the sharp object, which is most likely an evidence of a mark for the

 

place where the hole for attaching the coin to the document with a cord would be drilled.

 

Another piece of evidence that the coin could be a sample is the quality of its execution:

 

it is much better than the coins of regular issue, however is not as good as that of the

 

pattern coins (for instance, the decreasing quality of the design is very visible on this

 

sample as well as the doubling of the lower, sharper parts of the letters in the legend

 

“Siberian Coin”, so-called phenomenon of “dovetail”.

 

Despite the existence of business strikes of Siberian 2 kopeks pieces between 1766-1767

 

with edge inscription, there were no coins with earlier “pre-Siberian” dates known until

 

now that could be considered a sample specimen, a coin with not only Siberian types of

 

obverse and reverse, but with Susun edge of the 1766 that was used only for 3 highest

 

denominations. Numismatics only had information regarding 10 and 5 kopeks of 1763-

 

1764 with the same edge inscription minted at Petersburg Mint, but nevertheless that

 

was exactly the reason for the belief that there must be a coin of 2 kopek denomination

 

in existence. And the sample offered by “Sincona” is offering exactly that previously

 

missing link in the group of 10-, 5- and 2 kopeks Siberian coins of Petersburg origin

 

united by common elements of design and intended as samples for Susun Mint . The link

 

between the first coins struck at Susun Mint with exact specifications presented on those

 

“ukaznyey” samples.

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This coin is an unknown previously novodel in my opinion. If you read in Russian, here is my little article on that subject: http://coins.su/forum/index.php?showtopic=140032 with following discussion...

It is a missing link, but in novodels coins. VKGM listed these edges for novodel coins of higher denominations:

 

post-27191-0-52865800-1411101704_thumb.j

 

This edge was missing for the novodel 2 kopecks 1764:

post-27191-0-11245700-1411101721_thumb.j

 

but now the one that was missing in VKGM description is found...

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One more article by Anonymous related to another coin in Sincona 19:

 

 

10 zlotys1

 

, year 1827, IB

 

Description. Russia for Poland. Nicholas I, 1825-1855. 10 zlotys. Silver. Year 1827, IB. Mint:

 

Warsaw. Medallist – G. Meinert (no signature on the coin). Mint Master2

 

Catalogue reference. Bitkin, 983 (R4).

 

Obv. The portrait of Emperor Alexander I facing to right; The head is crowned with a laurel

 

wreath, bound at the back of the head with a ribbon falling to the neck. The legend on the

 

circumference: ALEXANDER I. CES · ROS · WSKRZESICIEL KRÓL · POLS · 1815.

 

Above the portrait, a star with 6 rays separating the beginning and ending of the legend.

 

Rev. Two-headed Russian eagle crowned with three imperial crowns and holding a sceptre, a

 

sword and an orb in its talons. The eagle’s breast is decorated with a mantle, which is tied

 

up at two upper angles. In the middle of the mantle, an oval shield with the one-headed

 

Polish eagle. Above the shield and the mantle, a royal crown. Above the heads of the

 

Russian eagle, the date separated with the crown in the middle: 18-–-27. On each side

 

of the eagle's tail, the mint master's initials: I ·-–- B ·. Beneath the eagle, a semicircular

 

legend: 10 ZŁOTYCH POLSKICH. The legend on the circumference: MIKOŁAY I. CES

 

· WSZ · ROSSYI KRÓL POLSKI PANUIĄCY.

 

According to the decision of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, on the territory taken by

 

Russia after the partition of the Commonwealth of Poland and, later, of the (Great) Duchy of

 

Warsaw, the Tsardom (Kingdom) of Poland was established as an autonomy within the Russian

 

Empire with its own Constitution, according to which the supreme authority was granted to the

 

Russian Emperor, who was also a "part-time" Polish monarch. In accordance with the received

 

status, the Kingdom of Poland was granted the right to issue own coins, and so the Warsaw Mint

 

began its work in 1816. Around the portrait of Alexander I on gold and silver coins of full value,

 

a legend was struck which confirmed his "double-jobbing" as the Emperor and Autocrat of All

 

Russia and the King of Poland – «ALEXANDER I. CESARZ SA · W · ROS · KRÓL POLSKI».

 

In 1820, the group of silver portrait coins with denominations of 5, 2 and 1 zloty was

 

extended by the 10-zloty coin, minted in relatively small issues. Its appearance was not due to

 

urgent need of money circulation in a coin with a new denomination. First of all, the 10-zloty

 

coin was designed as an implementation of the coins' propagandistic function or, as stated in a

 

decree on the preparation for its coinage, issued by the Viceroy of the Kingdom of Poland, «for

 

leaving a lasting memory of the care of the government for the welfare of the people». The

 

welfare and economic prosperity of Poland under the patronage of the Russian two-headed eagle

 

was to be undeniably testified by the "dignified appearance" of the 10-zloty coin with an explicit

 

legend on the reverse: «Z SREBRA KRAIOWEGO» – "(made) of silver of local origin".

 

At the beginning of the reign of Nicholas I, commemorative elements in the design of

 

gold and silver portrait coins were developed further. The sovereign, "wishing to erect a new

 

monument to the monarch, to whom Poland must credit its being, national institutions and

 

many other good things, had the thought of striking an image of his dignified predecessor (up to

 

his breast) on all Polish coins". On portrait coins of years 1826 through 1834 Alexander I was

 

depicted as a laureate, and the legends on the circumferences of both the obverse and the reverse

 

sides included the names and titles of both rulers: «Alexander I, the Russian Emperor, the one

 

who re-created the Kingdom of Poland. Nicholas I, the Emperor of All Russia, the ruling King of

 

2 Originally - "Münzmeister" or "monetarius"

 

The least numerous denomination present in this group of portrait coins was the 10-

 

zloty coin, being issued only in 1827 and numbering only 123 specimens (according to Bitkin's

 

catalogue). An assumption can be made that, with the blanks for the 10-zloty coin used up, it was

 

Two varieties of the 1827 10-zloty coin can be distinguished by the mintmasters' initials on

 

the reverse. The initials I.B. are those of Jakub Beník, who became a mintmaster of the Warsaw

 

mint in times of existence of the Duchy of Warsaw, in 1811 and retained this position until mid-

May, 1827. Mint Master Fryderyk Hunger, who replaced J. Beník, signed the coins minted in

 

Warsaw in the years of 1827 through 1832 with the initials F.H.

 

According to the Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhajlovich, the 10-zloty coins of the year 1827,

 

signed with the initials I.B., were patterns. He was aware of existence of three specimens of

 

this coin, two of which – his own and the one from the collection of Count I.I. Tolstoy – were

 

of "lawful" weight, while the specimen from the numismatic collection of Count E. Hutten-

 

A description and an image of the 1827 10-zloty coin with the mintmaster's initials – I.B.

 

–were first published by Count E. Hutten-Czapski. His composition "Cataloque de la collection

 

des medailles et monnaies polonaises du comte Emeric Hutten-Czapski", in which the coin is

 

shown under No. 6040, is cited by the Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhajlovich in the chapter of the

 

"Corpus of Russian Coins" devoted to Russian coins made for Poland. In 1893, he also published

 

a description of this 10-zloty coin as well as obverse and reverse images of the coin from his

 

own collection (No. 84. Vol.III/23). As for the specimen of this coin which belonged to Count

 

I.I. Tolstoy, the catalogue of his collection published by the company of A. Hess, to whom the

 

famous numismatist gave his collection in order to auction it, included only the reverse image of

 

At present, a coin with denomination of 10 zlotys, struck in 1827 and signed "I.B.", i.e.

 

with the initials of Jakub Beník, the Warsaw Mint Master, is presented at the auction of "Sincona

 

AG". Previously, a similar coin appeared at auctions only once: this was a 10-zloty coin from the

 

collection of Count I.I. Tolstoy in 1913.

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Part 1

 

10 zlotys1

 

Pl. III, 23.

 

very rare

 

Obv. The image of the head of Emperor Alexander I facing to right, as in the

 

description No. 79, but increased in size. The legend on the circumference:

 

ALEXANDER I. CES · ROS · WSKRZESICIEL KRÓL · POLS · 1815.

 

Rev. Two-headed eagle can be distinguished from the eagle on previous 10-zloty

 

coins by a crown above, a scepter, an orb and a tail, as all of these

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Part 2

 

1827

 

61

 

are significantly reduced in size. On each side of the crown: 18-–-27. On

 

each side of the eagle's tail: I ·-–- B ·. Beneath the eagle, a semicircular

 

legend: 10 ZŁOTYCH POLSKICH. The legend on the circumference:

 

MIKOŁAY I. CES · WSZ · ROSSYI KRÓL POLSKI PANUIĄCY.

 

Despite the fact that some numismatists, referring to the death of Jakub

 

Beník, which occurred in May of the year 1827, claim that this coin was struck at

 

a later period, an assumption can still be made that, during the time from January

 

to mid-May of the year 1827, the Warsaw Mint Master had enough time to make

 

a few pattern coins signed with his initials. The depicted specimen as well as the

 

one from the collection of Count I.I. Tolstoy are of "lawful" (full) weight, while

 

the specimen belonging to Count (E. Hutten-)Czapski is a light-weight one.

 

See C-te Czapsky, cat. No 6,040.

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One more article related to one more coin from the upcoming auction:

 

http://www.sixbid.com/browse.html?auction=1462&category=30649&lot=1322100

 

Pattern Portrait Rouble by L. Steinmann

 

Description. Russia. Alexander III, 1881­1894. Rouble (pattern) 1886. Silver.

 

Mint: St. Petersburg. Medallists L. Kh. Steinmann (obverse), A. G. Grilikhes

 

Catalogue reference. Bitkin 222 (R4).

 

Obv. The portrait of Alexander III facing to right. The legend on the

 

circumference: Б.М. АЛЕКСАНДРЪ III ИМПЕРАТОРЪ И

 

САМОДЕРЖЕЦЪ ВСЕРОССIЙСКIЙ

 

petals separating the beginning and ending of the legend.

 

Rev. The state coat of arms a crowned two­headed eagle holding a sceptre

 

and an orb in its talons; the eagles breast and wings are decorated with

 

heraldic shields. Beneath the coat of arms, the value and the year of coinage:

 

1

 

. Beneath the portrait, a rosette with 5

 

. The legend is separated in the middle by a rosette with 5

 

The emperors portrait reappeared in 1886 on gold and silver coins of

 

the Russian Empire after 90 years of absence. Upon the accession of Emperor

 

Paul I the portrait disappeared due to the unattractive features of the new

 

sovereigns profile. For almost a century the St, Petersburg mint struck only

 

pattern and commemorative coins with portraits of members of the ruling

 

family. The successors of Paul I were not eager to return to portraits on coins

 

of the regular national currency. The main elements of coinage now were the

 

national emblem and official legends. This meant that propagandistic functions

 

were mainly transferred to objects of medallic art which thrived at the turn of

 

was taken by banknotes.

 

Another design change of mass­produced Russian coins is associated

 

with the spread of the so­called pseudo­Russian or neo­Russian style in official

 

art. Since the 1860s, its influence significantly affected the design of paper

 

currency. Another important manifestation of this trend in the Russian Empire

 

was the return of the portrait of the Emperor on the coins of the regular

 

coinage. This can be considered a revival of the tradition of mass monetary

 

coinage with the use of portraits, which was established by Peter the Great. In

 

accordance with the same neo­Russian coin concept, the new coins were

 

designed and realized in the Russian antiquity style.

 

In October 1885, Alexander III was presented with two one­rouble coins

 

for approval. The obverse die for one of the coins was made by L. Kh.

 

Steinmann, the other by A. A. Grilikhes. A. G. Grilikhes was the engraver of

 

the reverse die, which was the same for the two coins. While noting the good

 

performance, the Emperor, however, expressed his desire "for the coin relief to

 

be more prominent". In mid­December, a plaster mould, according to which

 

dies of coins for the regular coinage were supposed to be produced, was

 

presented to Alexander III for approval. The mould received the "Supreme

 

Approval", and in the end of January 1886 the Emperor was presented with a

 

new model of the silver rouble, which was approved, and specimens of pattern

 

th centuries. Later, the main propagandistic function of money

 

roubles of the year 1886, "made with the portrait of the Emperor, but having

 

not received the Supreme Approval" because of the lack of prominence

 

(according to Alexander III), were transferred from the St. Petersburg mint to

 

the numismatic collections of the Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhajlovich and the

 

The description of the pattern portrait rouble by L. Steinmann and

 

images of the three specimens of this coin (of both the obverse and the reverse)

 

were first published in 1891 in the "Corpus of Russian Coins" by the Grand

 

Duke Georgiy Mikhajlovich. Later, the three obverse images were included in

 

the catalogue of I. I. Tolstoy's collection, which was published by the company

 

of A. Hess, whom I. I. Tolstoy charged with auctioning a part of his collection

 

after losing interest in the coins of the imperial period and fully concentrating

 

on collecting and studying the coins of the pre­imperial period.

 

Previously, the portrait rouble by L. Steinmann appeared at A. Hess'

 

auctions twice: during the sale of I. I. Tolstoy's collection in 1913 (Lot No.

 

2710) and in 1968 (Lot No. 514). The last coin will be presented at the auction

 

of "Sincona AG" in 2014.

 

Brief Information on the Medallists creators of the dies for pattern portrait

 

roubles of the year 1886

 

Grilikhes, Avenir Grigorjevich (1822 or 1825­1905) artist, medallist,

 

gem engraver, was born into the family of an engraver. Before moving to St.

 

Petersburg and working at the St. Petersburg Mint in 1871 as a coin die

 

engraver, he worked in Vilna as a seal (die) engraver. In 1872 he was honoured

 

with the title of a 3

 

in 1879 a senior medallist and court counsellor. He was well­known as a

 

fine portraitist, engraver of gems and a master of heraldic pictures. He was also

 

the creator of dies for many coins and medals. The two­headed eagle by A. G.

 

Grilikhes was used on the reverse of all portrait coins of mass release for the

 

years 1886 through 1915, as well as on the commemorative rouble of the year

 

1913. He signed the coin dies (except those of the gold 5­rouble coins of years

 

1895 through 1911) with the letters «АГ» beneath the back leg of St. George's

 

horse. He signed his other works as follows: «АВЕНИРЪ ГРИЛИХЕСЪ

 

РЕЗ.»; «А. Г.»; «А. ГРИЛИХЕСЪ СТ. Р.»; «А. ГРИЛИХЕСЪ ОТЕЦЪ Р.»

 

Grilikhes, Abraham Avenirovich (1849­1912) artist, medallist, gem

 

engraver was the son of A. G. Grilikhes. After graduating from the Vilna

 

painting school he underwent a complete course of study in medallists class of

 

the Imperial Academy of Arts (1868­1876) and was promoted to a 3

 

painter. He was the student of P. L. Brusnitsyn. In 1877 he was sent to the

 

Ministry of Finance and transferred to the St. Petersburg Mint to supervise the

 

manufacturing of dies for copper coins. In 1879 he was honoured with the title

 

nd grade painter, in 1882 becoming 1

 

became a junior medallist, and in 1899 a senior medallist and court

 

counsellor. He was awarded with the 3

 

Medal of the World Art and Industrial Exhibition in Paris in 1889. Creator of

 

dies for many coins and medals, including the obverse dies of gold and silver

 

portrait coins of years 1886 through 1894, he also engraved both sides of

 

commemorative roubles of the years 1898 and 1912, those with a monument to

 

rd grade painter. In 1873 he became a junior medallist and 3rd grade

 

st grade painter. In 1880 he also

 

rd Class order of St. Anna and the Gold

 

Alexander III. He signed the commemorative coin dies and the dies of several

 

5­rouble coins of years 1887 through 1892 with letters «А.Г.», signing his

 

other works as follows: «А. А. Г.»; «ГРИЛИХЕСЪ СЫНЪ»; «ГРИЛ. СЫНЪ

 

Р.»; «ГРИЛ. СЫНЪ»

 

Steinmann, Leopold Khristianovich (18481897) artist, medallist.

 

German by birth, he graduated from the Academy of Arts in Berlin. During the

 

years of 1874 through 1876, he studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St.

 

Petersburg. In 1874 he became a junior medallist, and in 1883 a senior

 

medallist of the St. Petersburg Mint. A personal honorary citizen of St.

 

Petersburg and creator of the "coronation" rouble dies of the year 1883, of the

 

obverse dies for several varieties of the 1886 pattern portrait rouble, and also

 

of many medals, he signed his works as follows: «Л. Ш.»; «Л.

 

ШТЕЙНМАНЪ»; «РЕЗ. Л. ШТЕЙНМАНЪ»; «L. STEINMANN»

 

4

 

.

 

5

 

.

 

1 The translation of the inscription: "By the Grace of God, Alexander III, Emperor and

 

Autocrat of All Russia"

 

2 The translation of the inscription: "Ruble, the year of 1886"

 

3 The translations of the inscriptions, respectively: "CUT BY ABNER GRILIKHES",

 

"A. G.", "CUT BY A. GRILIKHES SR", "CUT BY A. GRILIKHES ­ FATHER"

 

4The translations of the inscriptions, respectively: "A. A. G.", "GRILIKHES ­ SON",

 

"CUT BY GRIL. ­ SON", "GRIL. ­ SON"

 

5 The translations of the inscriptions, respectively: "L. S.", "L. STEINMANN", "CUT

 

BY L. STEINMANN", "L. STEINMANN"

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And the last one, from a famous numismatist:

 

When one looks at an auction catalog of a leading numismatic firm, it is easy to be

 

impressed with major rarities being offered. However, for many buyers, those rarities

 

are of a strictly academic interest; to most, these rarities are above their areas of interest

 

or budget. In the recent Sincona Auction 19 catalog, I noticed two categories of coins,

 

unusual coins, interesting as it seems to me, coins that were very affordable and that

 

appealed to a much wider group of collectors. It is needless to say that both of these

 

belong to areas of my old interests, areas that I have spent lot of time and energy on and

 

to which I have given a great deal of thought.

 

In the summer of 1999, in the Journal of the Russian Numismatic Society, I published

 

an article titled “Novodels or Die Trials? And What Happened to the 1760 Dies?” In that

 

article I proposed an idea that the original dies for the unaccepted 1760 coinage were

 

used in 1762 for the copper coinage of Peter III. The idea came to me after I noticed 4

 

kopeks and 2 kopeks coins with clear 2 over 0 overdates in my inventory. Further study

 

helped confirm my idea. Before publishing my article I expressed my thoughts to V.V.

 

Uzdenikov, V.A. Kalinin, and E.V. Lepekhina. All three agreed and The Hermitage even

 

had another 1762 coin with a 2 over 0 overdate: a 1 kopek that fit in perfectly with my

 

theory.

 

Looking through the Sincona Auction 19 offering I was delighted to see lots 250 and

 

251 – 4 kopeks from 1762 with 2 over 0 overdates – and lot 254 – a 1762 2 kopeks

 

with 2 over 0 overdate. These coins are much scarcer than straight dates, and are a very

 

interesting and important addition to any collection, not only as overdates but also as a

 

representative of 1760 coinage.

 

Another very interesting coin in the Sincona Auction is the Siberian 2 kopeks from 1764.

 

There are lots of opinions regarding the attribution of that coin. There are also lots of

 

opinions regarding Siberian coinage from 1764. Originally, my attention to the subject

 

was again peaked by a coin I had in stock: a Siberian denga from 1764. I had never

 

seen that coin before and needed to have it compared to a knowingly genuine piece. I

 

asked V.V. Uzdenikov if I could bring it to Russia for an Expert Opinion and he agreed.

 

During my visit there, not only did I show my coin to Uzdenikov, but I also took it to The

 

Hermitage to show it to V.A. Kalinin. The State Historical Museum (GIM) did not have

 

a single specimen of that coin, and therefore it was Uzdenikov suggested that I take it to

 

Kalinin to verify.

 

My coin showed some evidence of being in a fire and Uzdenikov told me that back when

 

the Kolyvan mint opened in 1764 and started production, a devastating fire occurred

 

and burned down whole Mint. Kalinin thought that my coin could have been one of

 

the survivors. Since then, many other opinions regarding the dates of operation of the

 

Kolyvan mint have been published claiming that it only started production in 1766.

 

None of them seem to be relying on direct documents, only on secondary sources. I

 

tend to believe the version of events told to me by Uzdenikov and Kalinin back in the

 

early ‘90’s.

 

Some believe that Sincona, lot 340, 2 kopeks of 1764, is a pattern, or as they call it, a

 

“ukaznaya” (coins that were attached to a document sent to the Empress by the Mint or

 

by the Empress to Various Governmental Departments) coin. Others call it “novodel,”

 

and some others even express doubt of its authenticity. All sides find evidence of the

 

other sides being wrong and point them out. I don’t intent in this article to defend either

 

side, but relying on the overall appearance of that coin and suspecting its origin, I believe

 

that the estimated price of 3000 CHF is a very reasonable gamble on that very interesting

 

piece.

 

 

 

Alexander Basok

 

Professional Numismatist, Coin Dealer

 

www.rustypennies.com

847.444.1163

 

basok@rustypennies.com

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Novodel. See the link to discussion I provided above. Its in Russian. In the first post I compared both "original" coins and novodel. Picture speaks for itself. Apart of Sincona "party" majority agreed they are novodels. Agree with Alexander though that it is a unique coin worthy of a collection if you like novodels.

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Very good arguments were made about the 1764 Siberian 2 Kopeck to support both hypotheses. I tend to place such coins in the 'Curiosity' category, picturing various scenarios over a glass of good wine. Although my gut feeling says it is a novodel, I 'd rather not know for sure...

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I love numisteries as much as that too. It was fun reading all materials published recently after I enjoyed forming my own opinion scrutinising coin images. No one expressed strongly formed extrapolated opinion in favour of these two coins (Markov and Sincona) being novodels. My only grievance is that Sincona's description is implying that coin is of orriginal origin, as I voiced.

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Novodel. See the link to discussion I provided above. Its in Russian. In the first post I compared both "original" coins and novodel. Picture speaks for itself. Apart of Sincona "party" majority agreed they are novodels. Agree with Alexander though that it is a unique coin worthy of a collection if you like novodels.

 

I mostly enjoyed the last paragraph of his article. :-)

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