![Russian Empire, Catherine II, Rouble, 1774 СПБ ӨΛ [WC6b-2] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/WC6b-2-1.jpg)
Description
Russian Empire, Sophia of the German House of Anhalt, as Catherine II ‘the Great’ of the House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, Empress and Autocrat of all Russia 1762-1796 AD, Silver Rouble (24.31g, 37mm), 1774 СПБ ӨΛ, Saint Petersburg mint, under mint master Fedor Lesnikov. Obverse: Bust of Empress Catherine II facing to the right, wearing small crown and dress, “T•И” raised on truncation, mintmark “СПБ” below bust, legend surrounds, “Б∙М∙ ЕКАТЕРИНА∙ II∙ ІМП∙ IСАМОД∙ ВСЕ РОС”. Reverse: Heraldic charge of the armorial of the Russian Empire (1730-1798 type), mint master’s initials “ӨΛ” below, date above, denomination in Cyrillic surrounds, “МОНЕТА∙ РƔБЛЬ∙”. Bitkin-218; KM C-67a.2; Davenport III-1684. Awash with an even whitey-grey patina, the reverse a lightly toned, some typical weakness in strike but an admirable portrait nonetheless, near Extremely Fine.
The obverse Cyrillic legend reads “Mи́лости Бо́га, Екатери́на II императри́ца u самоде́ржица всей Росси́и”, transliterated as “mílosti Bóga, Jekaterína II, imperatríca i samodéržica vsej Rossíi”, with an English translation of “Of God’s Grace, Catherine II, Empress and Autocrat of all of Russia”. The reverse legend states the denomination in Cyrillic as “моне́та рубль”.
