The Gold Chervonets
Seven emperors in one collection
In general 14 «imperial tokens» will be issued
The new series of tokens with representations of all Russian emperors will soon appear at Saint-Petersburg Mint.
In general 14 tokens are planned to be minted - due to the number of emperors of Russian state beginning from Peter the First.
The tokens will be packed in the cases for 7 items.
The first collection of the tokens with the representations of Ekaterina II, Pavel I, Alexander I, Nikolay I, Alexander II, Alexander III and Nikolay II has already appeared in a free sale at Numismatic salon of the Mint.
The idea of the token creating was born at the Mint last year. Specialists maintain that the interest for Russian history in general and for the regal people in particular is growing year by year. Goods for historical theme are in great demand of both tourists and collectors- numismatists.
The new tokens are interesting also by the fact they have not usual art design. On the facial side of every token there is a portrait of an emperor. For working over them the painter of the Mint Sergey Kornilov (which created both drafts and modeling) used ancient engravings, feature and photographic portraits of emperors. On the back side there is a pre-revolutionary Russian coat of arms, rising rays of which make an original shamrock. On its petals there are three dates: the year of the birth of a future emperor, the year of his entering on the throne and the year of his death. All the tokens are designed due to the equal principle, but in two cases there are some differences.
On the tokens with the portraits of Ivan VI and Nkolay II there are not three but four dates minted. It is connected with not technological mistake but historical facts. The destinies of both emperors were tragic. But if almost everything is known about Nikolay II, who was shot up after his abdication, so just a few people know about the emperor Ivan VI, who was reigning for about a year, but then spent for 22 years in prison.
Ivan Antonovich was proclaimed as an emperor at 2 years old during the period of regency of the duke Biron. Two weeks later after the beginning of his reigning a coup d"etat happened. Biron was arrested by guardsmen. The mother of the emperor Anna Leopoldovna was proclaimed as a new regent. One year later one more coup d"etat happened, bringing the daughter of Peter the First Elisabeth to the throne.
One-year old ex-emperor together with his parents was banished-initially near Riga, then to Holmogory, where he was parted with his parents. When he was 16, Ivan Antonovich was moved to a single cell in Shlisselburg fortress, where he was prohibited to see even his watchmen. In 1764 when he was 24 years old Ivan Antonovich was killed by his guards.
The picture on the back side of the token, consisting of the coat of arms and "shamrock", was chosen not accidentally. Due to the opinions of specialists exactly this form of grave notes were spread in Russia before.
All tokens are minted of 23 mm in diameter from three different metals: silver of 925 order, tombac and cupronickel. For every metal its own packing is foreseen. The silver tokens, made of "proof" quality, will be sold in collections and in retail in special transparent capsules. The tokens from tombac are planned to be sold both in collections, individually and in polyethylene packing. And, at last, the cupronickel tokens with emperors will be sold just in collections of 7 items in special cases.
Tatyana Balueva
