Russia Soviet Union Rouble 1922-1991

1) Recognition - Name - Country of Origin
The Tscherwonez, translated as "red coin," was minted by the state mints in Moscow and Leningrad in the years 1923, 1925, and from 1975 to 1982. Its name is derived from the copper alloy used, giving the coin a reddish hue. The Tscherwonez has a fineness of 900/1000.

2) Description of the Coin
The obverse (front) of the coin depicts an unchanged motif throughout its minting period, showing a farmer sowing seeds, facing right. The farmer is barefoot and wears his shirt sleeves and pants rolled up. He is shown scattering seeds with his outstretched hand while carrying a basket of seeds tied to his left hip. In the background on the right, smoking chimneys can be seen, and on the left, the rays of a rising sun emerge on the horizon. Behind the farmer on the right side, a plow is depicted. The year of minting is shown in Arabic numerals at the lower left edge, and at the upper edge, there is an inscription in Cyrillic letters that translates to "One Tscherwonez." The reverse side features a hammer and sickle surrounded by sheaves of wheat, against the backdrop of a rising sun with rays emanating from it. Below the wheat wreath, the abbreviation of the country (RSFR Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic) is visible. An exception is seen in the gold coins of 1925, which display the inscription "C.C.C.P" below the motif. The inscription above the motif reads "Proletarians of all countries, unite." The edge of the gold coin is smooth and bears an inscription in Cyrillic, meaning "Leningrad Mint." All inscriptions are in the Cyrillic script.

3) Face Value - Legal Tender - Value
The Tscherwonez was recognized as legal tender in the territory of the Russian Federation only since 2001. However, the material value of this bullion coin far exceeds its nominal value.

4) Other Units - Denominations:
There are no other units or denominations of the Tscherwonez, as shown in the table below.

5) Special Features - Minting Years - History - Mintage
Originally, the term "Tscherwonez" was used in the Russian Empire for gold coins from the West. Later, this name was adopted for the gold investment coin with a value of 10 Rubel, first minted in 1923 and 1925 and subsequently reintroduced from 1975 to 1982. The Tscherwonez, also known as Tscherwonetz or Tschernowetz, translates to "red coin" due to the ten percent copper content in the gold alloy, giving it a reddish tint. It is believed that the Swiss Vreneli served as a model for its design, and the Tscherwonez was also sold abroad to generate foreign currency. After the currency reform of 1947, ten old Rubles equaled one new Ruble. The gold coin was always minted in one denomination, with its fine gold content being approximately a quarter of an ounce. In some years, in addition to specimens in mint state (Stempelglanz) quality, proof coins were also issued. The mint state (Stempelglanz) issues reached relatively high mintages. In 1923, the first year of minting, the mintage was 2,751,000 pieces. The reissues between 1975 and 1982, intended for foreign sales, had varying mintages: 1975 (250,000), 1976 (1,000,000), 1977 (2,000,000), 1978 (350,000), 1979 (1,000,000), 1980 (Stempelglanz 900,000, Proof 100,000), 1981 (1,000,000), and 1982 (Proof 65,000). Few Tscherwonez gold coins from the 1923 minting are preserved, and at auctions, these coins fetch prices of approximately 7,000 US dollars. Only five examples of the 1925 Tscherwonzen are known to exist, all located in Moscow. Three of them are kept in the State Mint Museum, and two are housed in the Pushkin Museum.