Russian Gold Coins

Early Russian gold coins consisted of gold Kopeks, Ducats, Poltinas, and Novodels. But in recent times the Rouble has become the currency of Russia and is now the Russian gold coin of choice.

It is very rare that one would encounter a gold Kopek, Ducat, Poltina, or Novodel. The most common Russian coins available today are the Imperial and later 5 Rouble and up to 150 Rouble gold coins.

These would be from the early 1800s through to the present day. The mintage, or number of coins issued, as well as the date and condition will affect the value of the coin. The coins most popular are those of the imperial age prior to the Revolution and such coins will contain the head of the then current Tsar, such as Nicholas the II, for example, on the obverse (head) of the coin. After the Russian Revolution, The R.S.F.S.R., the socialist state of Russia, came into being and they issued gold coins also. The only denomination of gold coin issued by the RSFSR was the 10 Roubles. These were known as Chervonetz.

There were three different issues of the Chervonetz. They are the original in 1923, a second issue under the USSR (CCCP) in 1925 (all but one are thought to have been melted) and a third issue from 1975 to 1982. Only coins of this third type can be commonly found. The average price for a coin of this type is around 110 -120 dollars US. If you ever find one of the original issues however, these would command an extremely high price.

Moving earlier, an 1898 10 Rouble gold coin featuring Nicholas II in very fine condition will fetch around 120 dollars US. The mintage was only 200,000 of that coin. A 10 Rouble coin will have a gold content of around .2489 of an ounce and be 90 percent fine gold. Alloys are added to maintain hardness and durability.

Some significant coins includes the 1980 Moscow Olympics coin sets. The Russian government issued a series of six gold 100 Rouble coins from 1977 to 1980 inclusive for this event. These were issued in proof and ordinary uncirculated versions. These value at around 270 to 300 dollars US each currently.

As with collecting any specialized gold coins, always seek out a reputable dealer with whom you can buy and sell.

Russian Gold coins offers a number of Russian coins available for collectors. These can be ordered online from their website.

Collecting Russian gold coins can be a fascinating and absorbing hobby for the coin enthusiast well as an excellent investment for the future!