![Russian Empire, Nicholas II, 7.5 Rouble, 1897 АГ. AU58 [WC6a-6] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/WC6a-6-2.jpg)
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, Gold Seven Roubles Fifty Kopeks (6.44g, 21mm), 1897 АГ, Saint Petersburg mint, under mint master Apollon Grasgof. Obverse: Bare head of Emperor Nicholas II facing to the left, Cyrillic legend surrounds, “Б.М.НИКОЛАЙ II ИМПЕРАТОРЪ И САМОДЕРЖЕЦЪ ВСЕ РОСС.”. Reverse: Heraldic elements of the Armorial of the Russian Empire, denomination in Cyrillic and date surrounds below. Edge: Cyrillic inscription in incuse lettering, “ЧИСТАГО ЗОЛОТА 1 ЗОЛОТНИКЪ 34,68 ДОЛЕЙ ( А • Г )”. KM Y-63; Friedberg-178. Certified and graded by PCGS as Almost Uncirculated 58. One year type and scarce in grade.
The obverse Cyrillic legend reads in full as “Mи́лости Бо́га, Никола́й II, импера́тор и самоде́ржец всей Росси́и”, transliterated as “mílosti Bóga, Nikoláj II, imperator i samodéržec vsej Rossíi”, with an English translation of “Of God’s Grace, Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat (Tzar) of All of Russia”. The edge Cyrillic legend reads as “чи́стого золота 1 золотникъ 34.68 до́лей”, transliterated as “chistogo zolotá 1 zolotnik 34.68 до́лей”, with an English translation of “of pure gold 1 zolotnik 34.68 parts”.
The Zolotnik (золотник) was an old imperial Russian unit of weight based on the old gold coin called the ‘Zlatnik’ and weighed 4.26575 grams. It was divided into 96 parts or ‘dolya’ (до́ля), therefore 96 dolya was 100% purity. In the case of the 7.5 rouble coin, it is described on the edge as one zolotnik and 34.68 dolyas – the math: (34.86/96) x 4.26575 = 1.541g; 1.541 + 4.26575 = 5.8068 grams of actual gold.
