Description
Russian Empire, Nicholas II of the House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland 1894-1917 AD, Silver Rouble, 1912 ЭБ, Alexander III Memorial commemorative issue, Saint Petersburg mint, under mint master Elikum Babayants. Obverse: Bare head of the late Emperor Alexander III facing to the left, inner Cyrillic legend surrounds each side, “РОДИЛСЯ 26 ФЕВРАЛЯ 1845 ГОДА ВЪ БОЗѢ ПОЧИЛЪ 20 ОКТ. 1894 ГОДА”, outer Cyrillic legend surrounds, “АЛЕКСАНДРЪ III ИМПЕРАТОРЪ И САМОДЕРЖЕЦЪ ВСЕРОССIЙСКIЙ *”. Reverse: View of the monument erected to memorialize Emperor Alexander III, denomination in Cyrillic “РУБЛЬ” in exergue, Cyrillic legend surrounds in two lines each side, “СООРУЖЕНЪ ЛЮБОВЬЮ НАРОДА ВЪ МОСКВѢ”, “ИМПЕРАТОРОМЪ НИКОЛАЕМЪ II ОТКРЫТЪ ВЪ 1912 Г.”. Edge: Silver weight stated in zolotnik and dolya in incuse Cyrillic lettering, “ЧИСТАГО СЕРЕБРА 4 ЗОЛОТНИКА 21 ДОЛѦ ( Э • Б )”. KM Y-69; Bitkin-330 (R). Certified and graded by NGC as Uncirculated Details (obverse cleaned). Amongst one of the most coveted Roubles of late imperial Russian numismatics and thus one infrequently available for commerce, notably scarce even in non-numerical ‘details’ holders, the offered example with a bright obverse but with a supremely toned reverse with reflective fields, nice detail difficult to capture through a lens.
The obverse Cyrillic legend reads “Алекса́ндр III импера́тор и самоде́ржец всей россі́йскій, Роди́лся 26 февраля́ 1845 го́да, въ бозе почи́лъ 20 октя́брь 1894 го́да”, with a transliteration of “Aleksándr III, imperator i samodéržec vsej rossíjskij, rodílsja 26 fevraljá 1845 góda, v bózje počíl’ 20 oktjábrʹ 1894 góda”, and an English translation of “Alexander III, Emperor and Autocrat (Tzar) of all of Russia, born on the 26th February year 1845, died in God on the 20th October 1894”. The reverse Cyrillic legend reads “Сооружённый любо́вью наро́д въ Москвы́ Импера́тором Никола́ем II октя́брь въ 1912”, transliterated as “Sooružónnyj ljubóvʹju naród v Moskvá Imperátorom Nikolájem II oktjábrʹ v 1912”, with an English translation of “Built by the love of the people of Moscow by Emperor Nicholas II in 1912”. The edge Cyrillic legend states the silver weight in zolotniks and dolya and the mint master’s initials, reading as “Чи́стаго серебро́ 4 золотника́ 21 до́ля (Э • Б)”, transliterated as “čístavo serebró 4 zolotniká 21 dólja (E • B)”, with an English translation of “Pure silver of 4 Zolotniks and 21 Dolya (Elikum Babayants)”.
The grand opening of the Alexander III monument took place on 12th June 1912 – at 10am, Emperor Nicholas II and the imperial family emerged from the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and led the procession, thereafter 360 rounds were fired into the air and the Preobrazhensky Regiment marched, and then veil was lifted revealing the statue. Made in the style of monumental realism, the bronze statue depicts Emperor Alexander III enthroned, he is crowned with the imperial crown and holds the imperial sceptre and orb. Below is an inscription which reads with an English translation of “To the most pious autocratic Great Sovereign, our emperor Alexander Alexandrovich of All Russia. 1881-1894.”. The monument was short-lived – after the abdication of Nicholas II during the 1917 revolution, a decree was issued for the demolition of all monuments of the Tsarist era, and on the same day as the execution of the Imperial family, the 17th July 1918, the Alexander III monument was dismantled.
