Russia, Alexander II, Commemorative rouble 1859 - Monument of Nicholas I

A beautiful glossy piece with perfectly preserved details, struck with a fresh stamp with a characteristic prooflike effect.

The only commemorative ruble of Alexander II, starting a peculiar series of commemorative Russian rubles - the so-called monumental ones.

On the reverse it depicts the world's first equestrian monument, where the weight of the figure rests only on the horse's hind legs, where the entire equestrian figure weighed 21 tons!

Obverse: head of Nicholas I to the left, in the rim the legend:
НИКОЛАЙ I ИМПЕРАТОРЪ И САМОДЕРЖЕЦЪ ВСЕРОССIИС;

Reverse: equestrian statue of Nicholas I, below it the denomination marking: РУБЛЬ, in the rim the legend:
ИЮНЯ 25 ДНЯ 1859 ГОДА НИКОЛАЙ I ИМПЕРАТОРЪ И САМОДЕРЖЕЦЪ ВСЕРОССIИС...;