Russia: Nicholas II gold Specimen 1/2 Imperial of 5 Roubles 1895-AГ SP62 PCGS,...

Description

Excessively Rare - An Historic Issue!

Nicholas II gold Specimen 1/2 Imperial of 5 Roubles 1895-AГ SP62 PCGS, St. Petersburg mint, KM-Pn142, Fr-175, Uzd-316, Sev-549 (RRR), Bit-320 (R3). Obv. Bare head of Nicholas left. Rev. Crowned imperial double eagle facing, holding scepter and orb in talons; crown above, large coat-of-arms on breast, and smaller coats-of-arms on wings. Though not grand in size, the immense and majestic stature of this impressive specimen can not be overstated. Nominally 5 Roubles, it is the equivalent weight of the current 7 Roubles 50 Kopecks piece, and exhibits brilliant, mirrored surfaces, along with a pleasing golden-orange tone and an attractive prooflike appearance. Boasting an incredibly small mintage of just 36 pieces, this 'donative' coinage of 'Imperials' is the ultimate for late Russian patterns, especially for those who focus upon the last czar of the Romonov dynasty, Nicholas II. This particular denomination was produced for two years only--1895 and 1896--with each date reporting the same paltry mintage figure. In recent memory, there have only been four previous specimens of this type to cross the auction block, all of which are from the year of this example: 1895. From these four, the most comparable in terms of quality is an uncertified specimen which realized a hammer of €180,000 in Künker 225 (1/2013). It had previously realized a hammer of nearly €142,000 in Niemczyk 1 (10/2010). Assuredly, the present example should rival the former, and possibly even exceed it regarding elegance and beauty. Indeed, it also represents the only example of the type--from either 1895 or 1896--to be certified by either of the two major services. When combined with its immensely impressive pedigree, this stunning rarity is not to be overlooked and would serve as a keystone in any Russian or pattern collection.
Ex. Irving M. Moskovitz Collection ("Quality" Sales Corp. 2/1977), lot 918 (includes auction tag)
From the Commander Collection

Metal: Gold
Diameter: 21.5mm
Weight: 6.4516g
AGW: 0.1867oz
Mintage: 36

More information about Russian Coins. See also: Russia World Coin Nationality.



View all of [The Commander Collection ]

View Certification Details from PCGS