Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 1586. Estimate $5000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $12000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

RUSSIA, Tsars of Russia. Aleksandr I Pavlovich. 1801-1825. AR Rouble (20.87 g, 12h). Sankt-Peterburg (St. Petersburg) mint; Fedor Gelman, mintmaster. Dated 1804. MOHETA • PУБЛЬ • 1804, crowned double-headed imperial eagle facing with wings displayed, holding scepter and orb; coat-of-arms of Moskva framed by Order of St. Andrei Первозванного (the First Called) on breast; above, imperial crown; Ф-г flanking tail / ГOCУДAP=/CTBEHHAЯ/POCCIЙCKAЯ/MOHETA/PУБЛЬ./C.ПБ in six lines across field; all within laurel and oak wreath. On edge: BOCEMДECЯTЬ TPETEИ CЬ OДHOЮ TPETЬЮ ПPOБЫ. Bitkin 38; Severin 2546; Uzdenikov 1353. NGC photo graded MS 63, deep iridescent toning and wonderful condition for type. A frosted specimen and choice uncirculated. The first rouble of Aleksandr I.

Purchased from World Wide Coins of California (J. Elmen), December 1980.

During the reign of Aleksandr I, Russian territory showed enormous growth, encompassing Georgia, Finland, the present-day states of Alaska and northern California, along with large parts of Moldavia and Romania (Bessarabia). This tsar, having driven Napoleon out of Russia and propelling the French emperor to his abication two years later, was called “the Savior of Europe”.