Constantine silver ruble: The rarest Russian ruble
The rarest Russian coin is Constantine silver ruble. Russia has never had Emperor Constantine but it has his coin. The fact that this coin exists prove the dynastic crisis in Russia after death of Alexander 1st. He had no son and the throne was inherited by his brother. As he had three of them the elder was crown prince. The Constantine was.
As soon as Alexander 1st joined to majority the minister of finance Kankrin ordered to mint the coin with the portrait of new Emperor expecting Constantine would be. After first coins were minted it got known that Constantine abdicated and new Emperor would be Nikolay. The coinage was shut down and existing of the coins was the state secret until the whole life of Emperor Nikolay 1st.
After his death the new Emperor Alexander 2nd opened the secret box and 5 Constantine silver rubles came to light. The coin made of high quailed silver on St. Petersburg Mint. Weight is 20.73 grams, silver has hallmark 83 1/3. Remind that in tsarist Russia high quality silver had hallmark 83-85.
Observe presents sideview of Constantine, the year of coinage (1825) and inscription with the name of supposed Emperor. Reverse presents double-headed eagle at the centre of laurel wreath. On the milled edge of coin indicated the hallmark and weight.
One coin Alexander 2nd took for himself, second coin he gave for Hermitage. Those two Russia has until nowadays. Third and fourth coins Emperor presented for two Grand Princes and the fifth for Hessian Prince. Those three still be out of Russia in private collections.
There is a legend that master of coinage minted one more coin for himself and this coin has no inscription on the milled edge. They say that general and Russian numismatist Schubert owned it until it had been sold abroad.
Collectors hunt Constantine ruble as real hunters. Rich people are ready to pay any price to own this rare coin. For example ‘Hessian’ ruble had been sold at the public sale at 1965 for 41000$. But at 1979 it had been sold again for 114000$ on the public sale AMA. At 1981 it was evaluated for 80000-100000$. ‘Schubert’s’ ruble evaluated for 200000$ at the public sale ‘Spink & Son’ at 1974.
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I would like to know how to authenticate a possible 1825 Constantine silver ruble purchased at a renok in Russia. It’s not like any I’ve seen pictures of online except the pattern coin at Hermitage in SPB. Considering the rarity, who can determine authenticity?
Thank you…