Russia commemorates Patriotic War of 1812

[chrisild]

The Russian central bank commemorates the 200th anniversary of the war against France. Not with one coin, not with two -- no, more than 30 different coins will be issued on that occasion this year. Here is a list ...

Bicentenary of Russia's Victory in the Patriotic War of 1812
1x 3 rubles silver (1 oz, max. 5 million pieces)
2x 25 rubles silver (5 oz, 2m max
1x 50 rubles gold (1/4 oz, 1m max)
1x 500 rubles silver (5 kg, 50,000 max)
1x 25,000 rubles gold (3 kg, 50,000 max)

Emblem of the Celebration of the Bicentenary
1x 2 rubles (nickel-plated steel, 5m max)

Commanders and Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812
16x 2 rubles (nickel-plated steel, 5m max each)

Battles and Significant Events of the Patriotic War of 1812 and of Foreign Campaigns of Russian Army in 1813-1814
10x 5 rubles (nickel-plated steel, 5m max each)

Bicentenary of Russia's Victory in the Patriotic War of 1812
1x 10 rubles (brass-plated steel, 10 million pieces max)

Christian

[Bimat]

So there are 'only' 1 + 16 + 10 + 1 = 28 real coins to collect.

Aditya

[Figleaf]

Right. If we assume that they would be available at face, they would set your average Russian collector back 94 rubles which is INR 170 or €2.41 (€2.45 for Christian because he doesn't like small euro coins ) Compare that with 17 €2 coins for 10 years euro cash alone...

More important, this may be a sign that the Russians have finally mentally digested the second world war and are taking a distance from communism. The series on leaders and heroes will inevitably feature a lopsided number of aristocrats, including the czar. I stil wish they would have done a series on the main characters from War and Peace and its author...

Peter

[gxseries]

I was thinking where you got the information but here it is on the cbr site:

http://www.cbr.ru/eng/bank-notes_coins/memorable_coins/Plan.asp

Some pictures:

http://web.archive.org/web/20121023005822/http://cbr.ru/bank-notes_coins/memorable_coins/current_year_coins/print.asp?file=120502_2.htm

[Bimat]

....And here comes father of all coins.

Central Bank Issues 5 Kg Commemorative Coin

17:30 26/11/2012

MOSCOW, November 26 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Central Bank has issued a five kilogram (11 pounds) silver coin to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the country’s victory over Napoleon in 1812, the bank’s press office said on Monday.

The coin, which is 15 cm in diameter and has a silver fineness of 925, was issued in 50 copies with a face value of 500 rubles ($16).

The coin’s reverse side depicts episodes of the 1812 Battle of Borodino between the Russian and French armies.

The coin to commemorate Russia’s 1812 victory over Napoleon will be the largest among the central bank’s coins in 2012 and 2013. The Bank of Russia’s commemorative coins normally contain from 7 to 155 grams of previous metals.

Source

[ciscoins]

So there are 'only' 1 + 16 + 10 + 1 = 28 real coins to collect.

All of them still haven´t appeared in circulation. (And also all the commemorative 10 roubles haven´t appeared there for at least 1 year.)

[Bimat]

I'm planning to buy the set (2 Rubles and 5 Rubles as of now) next month.

Aditya

[paisepagal]

I was trying to recall why one of the 2 roubles looked so familiar to me....then I remembered about the Völkerschlachtdenkmal after coming across this pic of me back in 2007...who'd have thought that one can get very tanned in Germany 
Must get this coin for sentimental reasons! 

[Figleaf]

Got that series, thanks to a brilliant action of CIScoins. Designs are conservative, but they fit the country's present mood. A few of the war leaders were know quantities (czar Alexander, Kutuzov, Bagration), many had to be looked up. I was pleased to see a woman included.

Same with the battles. Borodino, the Berezina (you may question if that was a Russian victory) and Leipzig were familiar. Others were not. Maybe the series could have been shorter, but I enjoyed looking up the half-forgotten people and places.

I don't have a 10 roubles for the war of 1812. Was it cancelled or is it yet to be issued?

Peter

[paisepagal]

Haven't got any of this series yet 

The monument to he battle if nations is abutted by a massive beautiful ancient cemetery cum park... Including a large memorial dedicated to the "ermordet" of ww2 ... The whole place has made a lasting impression in my mind !

[chrisild]

We had a discussion about that piece in a German coin forum about half a year ago, and I wrote that in my opinion quite a few things are odd here. Dozens of pieces celebrating "victorious" battles ... oh well, their decision. Celebrating the bicentennial of the Leipzig battle ... oh well, guess it was less ambiguous for the Russians than it was for what today is the Germans. But depicting a monument that was erected 100 years after the battle, that looks like commemorating a centennial of a centennial to me.

Christian

[paisepagal]

Haha yea, the monument seems very ancient at first glance... Actually, even one climbs along the narrow stairwell... But I guess it's just easy for the Russians to choose that as symbolically it's easily recognisable in relation to the battle at Leipzig ... Else what would you propose ? (Seriously)

[ciscoins]

I don't have a 10 roubles for the war of 1812. Was it cancelled or is it yet to be issued?

No, it exists. And it was in numismatic shops at the moment when we met. But this coin was too expensive at that moment, because very few coins were given to the coin dealers. Now it's cheaper, about 1 - 1,5 euro in UNC, but still hasn't reached the typical price level.

And one more note: all the known coins have some defects. The sellers don't know why.

[chrisild]

Else what would you propose ? (Seriously)

First of all, I do not like the concept of such "heroic battles" series. But if any country (hmm, its government) wants to do that, that is not my business. As for what could be depicted on such a coin ... a painting that shows some battle scene maybe, or a "map" maybe. A mere double date (1813 - 2013) could work too -- ah no, not if one wants to issue dozens of such pieces.

Side note: Germany will fortunately not issue a Völkerschlacht coin; Deutsche Post will make a commemorative stamp though. The theme, however, will not be the 200th anniversary of the battle but the 100th anniversary of the monument. A monument which I have visited and found very interesting with its (today's) message, I might add.

Christian

[Figleaf]

For one thing, the Russian government still has problems with the past, including acknowledging bad news, admitting mistakes and allowing criticism. You may wonder if it is reversion to the bad old days or a transition generation problem that time will solve, but it is today's reality. This series fits in today's reality. As I wrote above:

this may be a sign that the Russians have finally mentally digested the second world war and are taking a distance from communism. The series on leaders and heroes will inevitably feature a lopsided number of aristocrats, including the czar.

For another, you will find few coins commemorating lost battles anywhere.

Like you, I am not an admirer of soldiers and wars. French dead were just as dead as Russian dead and winning a war also means a lot of dead people. Just read about Bagration at Borodino, until the first world war trench battles the most horrible massacre ever.

Nevertheless, some wars are defining moments for countries: a time when their very existence was at stake. The Napoleonic war was such a moment for a number of countries, including Russia*. I see this series not so much as a war commemoration, but rather as a celebration of the country that is Russia, warts and all. The series could indeed have been better planned, designed and executed, but for Russia, this is significant progress. The communists would have made a repulsive mess of it.

Peter

* I would be bitterly disappointed if there weren't a Waterloo commemorative in Britain and I would be highly surprised if Blücher played any role on it.