The Gold Chervonets
Prepare your money, there is something to buy
In 2004 in Russia unique coins are minted
This or that year is often remembered for collectors and numismatists by not only some events of private life but by the fact what money was produced and gathered in a collection. By this 2004 will be remembered by many people- at Saint- Petersburg and Moscow mints there will be many coins minted, able to become decoration of collections. Among them there will beunique ones too.
So, this year, due to the words of the chief of monetary-order department of the Association Goznak Nikolay Belyaev, the Bank of Russia planned to issue two gold coins of a kilo weight. The first will be produced in the series "Keep our world", devoted to a reindeer. The price of the coin- concerning rather small printing- will be till 20 thousand dollars according to the specialists value.
The next one kilo coin will be included into the series, the hero of what will be an icon painter Feofan Greek. One year ago a series of coins, devoted to Dionisius (also including a gold kilo coin) was very successful. The design of new coins was developed the author of Dionisius, the national painter of Russia Alexander Baklanov. Experts assure that Baklanov succeeds in showing either a slice of that historical period or an image of the icon painter and his works on the historical base. All of these make the art value of this kind of the coins very high. There is one problem- to become an owner of the coin, produced by 100-200 copies, even in spite of the high price of them.
If kilo-weight gold (and silver) coins appear practically every day, so combined coins, consisting of two precious metals, haven"t existed in modern Russian history yet. Till now the mints of the Association Goznak issued either gold or silver coins. There were also coins from platinum and palladium.
In 2004 bimetallic coins (from gold and silver simultaneously) will be produced in two series at once.
Four coins, devoted to Rostov the Great and Uglich, will open a new series. Every coin will contain a silver disc and an external gold ring.
But it will be not only feature making the coins unique. While minting them the mints of Goznak use a new type of decorating. The personal card of the "Gold ring" cities are known to be orthodox cathedrals, whose domes glitter in the sunshine. So, on the coins the domes of the ancient churches will differ from the rest relief picture by using a new technology.
According to Nikolay Belyaev, traditionally engravings on the coins are dull. However in this case the masters want to make the church domes brilliant.
The similar technology is used in the world nowadays, but rather seldom. The matter is, it demands special preparation of the tools. In every country, at every mint there are their own secrets, technology, protected by patents.
The mints of Goznak have used the technology already but not for coins. In particular, these were state rewards, including the medal for 300th anniversary of Petersburg. But a medal is not a make of "proof"" quality.
Here the matter is just not using precious metals for minting memorable coins- the main problem is necessity to prepare the tools for "proof" technique. According to experts" words, it is rather difficult task.
The second unusual series 2004 is devoted to 300th anniversary of the monetary reform of Peter the First. In honour of this date two coins were produced, also combined, but made by another principle than "Gold ring". Its base is from silver, the gold pad represents the coins, which began the reform of Peter- a kopeck and a ruble with a portrait of Peter the First.
Saint-Petersburg mint owns the technology, and it has also used before, but not on coins but tokens and medals without adding precious metals.
In 2004 the series are not only started but finished too. This is a series "Zodiac signs", whose coins were in a great demand of customers. Though, it is not an exception for the series to be renewed in another design in 1-2 years.
There is another one event in the life of memorable coins. At the end of last year-the beginning of this year the coins became slightly bigger and a little more expensive. The coins, weighing half an ounce of silver, became heavier till an ounce. The gold coins, weighing one tenth of an ounce, became heavier a quarter of an ounce.
Yelena Kiseleva
