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 Nicholas
II probably would have been a relatively good ruler
in more auspicious and tranquil times. The unfortunate
Czar and his wife, the Empress Alexandra, four daughters
and son, the Czarevich Alexei, were executed by the Bolsheviks
in 1918, following the disaster of World War I and the
two Russian revolutions of 1917.
The
Empire moved to the gold standard in 1897, with no major
changes in silver coinage. The heavy burden on the St.
Petersburg Mint of striking a vast quantity of the new
gold coins led to the decision to farm out to the Paris
and Brussels Mints the minting part of the banks silver
coinage from 1896 to 1899. The Russians provided the
French and the Belgians with hubs or dies for the coinage
they produced, so that one can distinguish the foreign-minted
coinage by looking at the edge of the coin: a single
star for Paris and two stars for Brussels. The last rubles
of the Imperial era were struck by Nicholas II in 1915
and subsidiary coinage continued until 1917.
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1896 coin celebrating the coronation
of Nicholas II, “Emperor
of all the Russias”.
Collection of Coins and Medals
Yale University Art Gallery
2001.87.333
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1898
ruble commemorating the dedication of a monument at the
Kremlin in Moscow, in memory of Czar Alexander II. The
construction of the monument was started by Nicholas
II’s father, Czar Alexander III, and completed
in 1898.
Collection of Coins and Medals
Yale University Art Gallery
Gift of Rev. William H. Owen
2001.87.332
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¼ copper
kopeck piece, 1899, showing “¼ kopieki,
1899 S.P.B. (Saint Petersburg)”.
Collection of Coins and Medals
Yale University Art Gallery
Gift of Rev. William H. Owen
2001.87.328
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1898 ½ copper
kopeck
coin, obverse side, showing engraving.
Collection of Coins and Medals
Yale University Art Gallery
Gift of Rev. William H. Owen
2001.87.329
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1901
silver ruble with image of Nicholas II.
Collection of Coins and Medals
Yale University Art Gallery
Gift of Rev. William H. Owen
2001.87.331 |
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Silver
ruble of 1912 commemorating the 100th anniversary of
the Battle of the Borodino, when the Russians fought
against the invading French Grande Armee under Napoleon.
Collection of Coins and Medals
Yale University Art Gallery
Gift of Rev. William H. Owen
2001.87.335
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1913
Silver ruble celebrating the 300th anniversary of
the House
of Romanov, with portraits of Michael (the first Romanov
ruler of Russia) and Nicholas II.
Collection of Coins and Medals
Yale University Art Gallery
Gift of Rev. William H. Owen
2001.87.334
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2001.87.330
2001.87.330
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A
3 kopeck coin from
1916. This was among the last series of coins issued
by the Romanovs, who were overthrown
by the first
Russian
revolution
in 1917.
Collection of Coins and Medals
Yale University Art Gallery
Gift of Rev. William H. Owen
2001.87.330
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