Coins of the 30s. Rare and expensive coins of the USSR and their price from numismatists

16.03.2021

When they talk about the thirties in the USSR, depending on the views of a person, different associations may arise. For some, this is the time of camps, hopeless terror and total dictatorship. And someone will remember that then there were great construction projects, the construction of industrial giants, which are still synonymous with major industrial achievements. There was a time of spiritual upsurge, the belief that future generations will live better than their parents. Yes, life was not easy for the common people. But, the results of the work were already clearly visible. It is impossible to describe all the processes of that time in one article. Therefore, we will pay attention only to the issue of prices and salaries. Enthusiasm, great construction projects are wonderful. But how did the people live? What could be bought with the money earned? First, consider the salaries and incomes of various categories of Soviet citizens. In order not to be unfounded, documents of that era will be cited. Let's start with working specialties.

The salary of a locksmith third, i.e. low category, according to a note in the newspaper of those years, 600 rubles a month.

And here they write about the earnings of a drilling foreman, already 1,000 rubles.

Surely, here are the brigade leaders, and for the lack of marriage, and for overfulfilling the plan by his brigade.

BUT! 1000 rub. there is an excess of the average salary in the country by 4 times (it was 250 rubles). And this is for the plan in 166%

These are, of course, the leaders of production, the Stakhanovites, as they said then. The average salary for working specialties in production was 350 rubles.

Now about the earnings of handicraftsmen and artel workers, cooperators. The fact that in the Stalinist USSR the artel-cooperative movement was highly developed will not be touched upon in this topic. Only about income. So here's a visual about the earnings of handicraftsmen:

And here's more:

Agree, not at all small incomes. After that, there are fewer questions about how beekeepers and artel workers could buy tanks for the front.

The salaries of engineers were higher than those of working specialties. So the factory engineer's salary was 1.5 thousand rubles at the end of the thirties. And this is understandable - it was necessary to stimulate people to study.

And in order to become an engineer, you need to study. Life has always been difficult for students. So how did students live in the thirties?

The Saratov Kolkhoz Agricultural College is offering scholarships of 250 rubles to those who have passed the entrance exams for three "A"s and one "Four".

For reference: In 1940, the average wage of workers and employees of the RSFSR was 339 rubles.

Let's read the newspapers of that time:

And here you can judge the income of engineers of human souls of that time:

How much did a writer earn in the USSR? This is, of course, difficult to determine.

For example, the unknown writer Lev Savin. Lev Savin is not very famous and even the Literary Encyclopedia cannot give the date of the writer's death.

SAVIN Lev (pseudonym Savely Moiseevich Lev, 1891-) - writer. R. in the family of an artisan. Graduated from a real school.

Served as an accountant. Was at the front, later a Soviet employee. He began writing in 1929.

S.'s first novel, Yushka, depicts the old barracks, the drill, and the enmity of the soldiers against the officers, but the contradictions of S.'s tsarist army have not been revealed. In the collection "Mountain-Man", along with the image of the lack of rights of the tsarist soldier ("Private Immortal"), S. refers to modern reality ("Wake Dream"). The development of the oil industry in Russia, the history of the struggle for Soviet Azerbaijan is devoted to the novel "Nafta".

The last thing S. - "Candide's sortie" - is an attempt at a satirical depiction of Nazi Germany.

A superficial understanding of fascist reality reduces the ideological and artistic quality of the novel.

From 1930 to 1935, Savin wrote 7 works, by the way, being, to put it mildly, not a very replicated writer.

The minimum circulation for an aspiring writer NOT a member of the Writers' Union was 100,000 copies. The average price of a non-thick book was 1 ruble 20 kopecks.
Total, 120,000 rubles. Irrespective of whether the circulation was sold out or not, a fee of 5,000 rubles was paid and circulation, a miserable one and a half percent ... minus income tax.
In total, a young author could buy:

Village house with yard
- modest cooperative apartment
- a modest used car (because there was a queue for a new one)

And he still had money left to write a new book.
And if he was accepted into the Writers' Union, then he did not need to buy an apartment (they gave it for free), and they paid a scholarship (about 150 rubles for a beginner) plus fees for small literary work (200-300 rubles), plus free vouchers to the House of Creativity in Maleevka ...

And how was the military service in the Red Army paid? Here are some scans of documents from those years:

This is from the financial documents of that time:

And the priests. Yes, priests...

What about our prices? What could you buy with your money? Here, the respected "historian30h" provided a wonderful document: "Price List of Uniform State Retail Prices for Foodstuffs" for 1935

Opened by a 1923 chervonets. Although it stands as the name of the state of the RSFSR, this is a political formality. They were issued for foreign economic settlements and, apparently, they practically did not participate in circulation on the domestic market. But since the "old" tsarist gold on the international market at that time aroused much more confidence than the "new Soviet" gold, they were not successful. So most of circulation was melted back into gold bullion and re-minted into pre-revolutionary chervonets. Despite the very large circulation (almost three million pieces), very few of them have survived to our time. To date, the collection prices for the gold chervonets of 1923 exceed 150,000 rubles.

Chervonets 1923 - 150.000 rubles.

2 kopecks 1927 - 120.000 rubles

2. The next in chronology - 2 kopecks in 1925. After large circulations in 1924 (the first year of the monetary reform), copper coins in 1925 were issued in very small quantities and only in lower denominations. As a result, 2 kopecks of 1925 are now worth about 60 thousand rubles. It is interesting to note that collectors did not know about its existence for more than thirty years. The first coin was found by numismatists only in the middle of the last century. Since then, not many have been discovered.

Even more rare and valuable are 2 kopecks of 1927. Their price is more than 100 thousand rubles. But thanks to the development of metal detecting and the finds of diggers, in Lately their rarity has dropped. However, it is still extremely difficult to find such a coin in excellent condition.

20 kopecks 1931 - 150.000 rubles

20 kopecks 1934 - 100.000 rubles

3. Some of the most valuable coins of the USSR are silver 10, 15 and 20 kopecks of 1931. By the beginning of the 1930s, new Soviet coins had won the trust of the population. Therefore, it was decided to definitively eliminate the use of precious metals in money circulation. Starting from 1931, copper-nickel coins began to be minted instead of silver coins. Although the silver 10, 15 and 20 kopecks of 1931 are included in all catalogs, it is almost impossible to find them. Unless in the form of late remodels. The only silver coin of 1931 that could be found in circulation is 20 kopecks. Its cost exceeds 150.000 rubles

4. 20 kopecks 1934 are found only in the form of late replicas and cost more than 100 thousand rubles. There are only a few original copies even in museum collections. The fact is that the design of the coins of 1931 - 1934. turned out to be very complicated - a worker with a hammer, a shield framing the face value, and even the full name of the state in a circle. As a result, a very large percentage of coins when minted turned out to be defective. Therefore, it was decided to stop issuing coins with a pattern, and destroy all 20 kopeck coins of 1934.

5. 5 kopecks 1933 are worth 20 thousand 5 kopecks 1934 and 1935 (old type) - 9,000 rubles each. It is difficult to name the reason for the extremely small circulation of these coins. Most likely, copper and aluminum reserves were more needed to solve the tasks of the second five-year plan.

Wartime coins - 10 and 15 kopecks 1942 price for 15.000 rubles.

6. The rarity of 10 and 15 kopecks of 1942, which are valued at 15,000 rubles each, can be explained as follows. After the mint moved from Leningrad, to the Urals, to Krasnokamsk, in wartime conditions, it was not immediately possible to start full-fledged minting of the necessary coins. The next year, the issue of coins stabilized. As a result, 10 and 15 kopecks of 1942 became one of the rarest for the entire time of production of these denominations.

7. The most famous and one can say absolutely the rarest and expensive coins USSR - these are all denominations of 1947. Although more than 500 million of them were minted, all of them were melted down. For what reason, one can only guess. Only one thing is clear, the new post-war coat of arms of the USSR with 16 ribbons (approved in June 1946), as a result, appeared on coins only in 1948. Of the coins of 1947, only exhibition copies have survived (with traces of soldering tendrils with which they were attached to a demonstration stand) and this due to the fact that they are the most valuable coins of the USSR. A complete set of 1947 coins was sold in 2008 at an auction for more than 200 thousand Euros, i.e. over a million rubles for each coin.

8. Immediately after them, in terms of fame among numismatists and rarity, follows a set of coins from 1958. In it, 2, 3 and 5 rubles were added to the usual denominations. The currency reform of 1961 was originally planned to be implemented in 1958. Coins had already been minted, in sufficient quantities to replace the existing coin supply and sent to all regional banks. But something went wrong with the reform and instead of the command “open the bags”, the Central Bank had to give the command “return”. Despite this, part of the small denominations of 1, 2, 3 and 10 kopecks got into the money circulation. One and two kopeck coins cost an average of 150 thousand rubles, 3 kopecks. - 60.000 and 10 kop. around 40,000 rubles. Prices for other coins of 1958 are significantly higher (up to 3.5 million rubles).

The so-called crossovers are very expensive among numismatists, when coins are minted using the front side of another coin or on a coin mug intended for a different denomination. Prices for such coins are often in the region of 30 - 50 thousand rubles. But a special and most interesting group of coins are errors. This is when a stamp with an outdated coat of arms is used to mint the front side. For the period 1924 - 1957. 4 emblems of the USSR were replaced. They differed in a very prominent detail - the number of ribbons, indicating the number of republics that were part of the Soviet Union.

These coins include:

10 kopecks 1946 and 20 kopecks 1941. But only those stamps of the front sides of the 1937 sample with 7 ribbons in the coat of arms (instead of 11) were used for minting. The price of such coins is very significant and exceeds 50 and 100 thousand rubles, respectively.

Very rarely there are 2 kopecks of 1948 with an early coat of arms of 11 ribbons (instead of 16). They cost 70 thousand rubles.

1 kopeck 1957 with the coat of arms, abolished in 1956 from 16 ribbons. Extremely rare and highly sought after. In September 2010, it was sold at auction for 600,000 rubles.

A peculiar pair of crossings: 10 kopecks of 1957 with 16 ribbons instead of 15. And 10 kopecks of the previous 1956 with a coat of arms wreath of 15 ribbons instead of 16, which began to be used only from the next year. Each is valued at 50,000 rubles.

Of particular interest to numismatists (and therefore expensive ones), I will note the rare crossovers of 3 and 20 kopecks of 1931-1934. The fact is that the name of the state of the USSR on 3 kopecks was placed on the front side with the coat of arms, and on 20 kopecks. in the form of a circular inscription "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" on the reverse side with a hammer and face value. When, by mistake, 3 kopecks were minted using a face close in diameter to 20 kopecks, a dash could be seen under the coat of arms instead of the usual abbreviation of the USSR, i.e. the name of the state on the coin was completely absent. But the crossing is 20 kopecks with a coat of arms from 3 kopecks. declared its state affiliation twice on each side - both in short and in full. Auction prices for such error coins reach 100 thousand rubles or more.

3. The most valuable trial coins of the USSR in 1953 and 1956

Quite a lot is known about trial coins of the USSR for 70 years of their minting. The vast majority survived only in a few copies and are either in museums or in the archives of the State. Jar. Their prices and rarity can only be discussed theoretically. Those copies that still fell into private hands were sold and bought at auctions anonymously, at extremely high prices. Thus, a trial gold piece of 1925 made in copper was sold for 5 million rubles, and the price of the unique 50 kopecks of 1929 at the auction reached a record amount of 10 million rubles.

Trial 1 kopeck 1953, two variants of the front side.

Much more common are trial coins of 1953 and 1956, which were made in the course of the implementation of the future reform of 1961. In total, several dozen species are known. And in total, if not several thousand, then several hundred for sure were preserved.

So it’s real if you don’t buy them, then at least see them. Of additional interest is the fact that these are not samples of individual coins, but attempts to develop the entire nominal range from 1 kopeck to 5 rubles. In addition, these are the coins that finally formed the design of the well-known coins of the 1961 sample.

Reverses of trial coins of 1953, the search for the optimal version.

At the auctions, where they periodically appear, you can get an idea of the prevailing prices for these coins. The most common ones are estimated at 100 - 150 thousand rubles, the main options are usually sold from 250 to 700 thousand rubles.

4. Valuable coins of the USSR of the period 1961 - 1991.

After intensive coinage in 1961 and 1962, for two years, coins with a face value of 3 to 20 kopecks were not issued at all. In the next few years, these coins were produced in very limited quantities. As a result, they are rare and highly valued by collectors. Specific figures for convenience are summarized in the table.

	5 kop	10 kopecks	15 kopecks	20 kop
1965
1966

In this article, we will consider the reasons for the appearance of expensive coins of the USSR. Surprisingly, the list of the most expensive Soviet rubles and kopecks includes not only gold and silver banknotes. In some cases, the cost of copper money is much higher than that of precious metals.

Let's find out why some coins are much more expensive than others, and which ones are the most valuable?

1 chervonets 1923 - 170,000 rubles

The list of the most expensive money in the USSR begins with a gold piece. During 1923, more than 2.5 million chervonets were produced at the mint in Petrograd with the image of a sower on the reverse. They were intended for trade on the world market, but such Soviet banknotes were not in demand, so almost the entire circulation was sent for melting down.

It is not known exactly how many of these valuable gold coins have survived to this day, average price sales of which amount to 170 thousand rubles.

2 kopecks 1925 - 50,000 rubles

In 1924, a huge number of small change coins were produced. Therefore, next year the Leningrad Mint minted coins of not all denominations. For example, money with a face value of 3 and 5 kopecks was excluded from production. For a long time it was believed that even 2 kopecks were among the coins that were not minted in 1925, until the first such banknote was found in circulation. The number of money found is not high, which makes it possible to attribute 2 kopecks of 1925 to rare specimens, the sale price of which is rarely lower than 50,000 rubles.

2 kopecks 1927 - 120,000 rubles

About 2 hundred of these coins were found, which is clearly not enough to provide for all collectors who collect Soviet money. Therefore, this two-kopeck copy of 1927 has such a high collector's value.

Silver 10, 15 and 20 kopecks of 1931 - from 150,000 rubles.

In 1931, for the production of banknotes in denominations of 10, 15 and 20 kopecks, cupronickel was used instead of silver. But the release of several coins made from silver blanks did take place this year. No one knows the exact number of silver change money made, but the price, starting from 150,000 rubles, definitely speaks of their uniqueness.

20 kopecks 1934 - more than 100,000 rubles.

The only original coin is a copy kept in the Hermitage. The history of this banknote is as follows. The design of 20 kopecks contained many small details, which caused an increase in the number of defective copies. Therefore, it was decided to stop issuing 20 kopeck money of this design, and to eliminate the minted circulation of 1934.

At numismatic auctions, you can see the sale of 20 kopecks from 1934. Most likely, these are new-made copies that were produced in a mini-circulation in the middle of the last century. It is possible that the replicas were minted for private collections of influential people of the USSR or as a gift to foreign politicians. Their cost starts from 100,000 rubles.

Coins 1947 and 1958

Year	List	Price, in rubles
1947	1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 kopecks	12,000,000 per set
1958	1 kop	60 000
	2 kop	60 000
	3 kop	40 000
	5 kop	120 000
	10 kopecks	40 000
	15 kopecks	120 000
	20 kop	120 000
	50 kopecks	180 000
	1 rub	180 000
	2 rub	120 000
	3 rub	270 000
	5 rub	100 000

The metal money of these years is bound by a common fate. All coins produced in 1947 and 1958 were sent for remelting. From the issue of 1947, only a few copies have survived, intended for museums. There is an opinion that there was no mass minting in 1947, and only trial specimens appear at auctions. One way or another, but today it is one of the most expensive coins of the USSR!

The coins of 1958 were more fortunate, some of them nevertheless ended up in circulation.

Rare coins of the USSR 1961-1992

How much are the coins of the USSR, the second half of the last century? You will not find especially valuable copies among the money of regular minting. The most expensive are:

Year	List	Cost, in rubles
1970	15 kopecks	18 000
1990	5 kopecks with the letter M	18 000
1990	10 kopecks with the letter M	18 000
1991	20 kopecks without letters	25 000

Coins of regular minting in 1991 were distinguished by the letters "M" and "L", which denoted the mint where the metal money was produced. If the Leningrad factory put its sign "L" strictly on banknotes with the date "1991", then there was a confusion at the Moscow factory, which led to the appearance of two expensive options. These are rare 5 and 10 kopecks with the date "1990", on which the letter "M" is already present.

Photo: 5 kopecks 1990

	Reverse	Obverse with the letter "M" (valuable)

Photo: 10 kopecks 1990

Obverse without mintmark (plain)	Reverse	Obverse with the letter "M" (valuable)

20 kopecks of 1991 are estimated a little higher, the obverse of which was minted with an old stamp without a mint mark.

Photo: 20 kopecks 1991

Obverse with manufacturer's badge (regular)	Reverse	Obverse without letters (valuable)

Also expensive are bimetallic tens with the inscription "State Bank of the USSR", issued in a reduced edition, namely:

You will find the current value of Soviet money for 2020 in a special catalog. The catalog will help you make a quick assessment of your collections:

Since 1965, in addition to rubles and kopecks of regular minting, commemorative coins appeared in the money circulation of the USSR, the production of which was tied to round dates and major events, such as Summer Olympic Games 1980, held in Moscow. Among the commemorative money there are also some rarities, the cost of which reaches 2.5 million per copy.

You can find information about such expensive commemorative coins in the following article:

Rare varieties and crossovers

When stamps with differences are used in the production of metal money of the same denomination and year of issue, varieties are born. Such varieties may have differences in size, shape or position of individual details of images and inscriptions.

The so-called crossroads also belong to varieties. They are obtained when:

the obverse is minted with a stamp from a banknote of a different denomination
the obverse is made with a stamp from money of another stamp type
the inscription on the edge is confused

The conversion of USSR coins is highly valued by numismatists. Here are some examples of expensive crossovers:

The obverse is minted with a stamp used in 1935-1936. Estimated at 300,000 rubles. It is very easy to distinguish the obverse of rare 10 kopecks: there are only 7 tape interceptions on the ears, instead of 11 laid.

The obverse is minted with an obsolete stamp (16 ribbon interceptions instead of the proper 15). In 2010, such a crossing was sold for 600,000 rubles.

Coins with marriage

Perhaps the most striking in any collections are coin marriages. This money, which differs from the standard, has always been in demand among numismatists. The coins of the USSR are no exception!

Violation of production technology leads to the appearance of the rarest specimens. For example, 5 kopecks of 1990, minted on a bimetallic billet, was sold at the www.rarecoins.ru auction for 6.5 thousand dollars in 2016.

The article examined rarities, many of which took their places in museums or private collections of wealthy numismatists. It is unlikely that you will come across such instances. But the following video tells about those valuable banknotes that were in circulation and are still found when sorting through Soviet trifles:

The contradictions and complexities of history, together with the ornateness of the state system, made the most expensive coins of the USSR also the most valuable in cultural and historical terms. Despite the fact that the years of the existence of the Soviet Union do not belong to hoary antiquity, the history of its formation and collapse is full of bloody events, colorful personalities and extraordinary circumstances under which, in fact, the coins that we will talk about were minted. These loud 70 years of our history are forcing scientists to write new books with the disclosure of amazing secrets, and numismatists to look for old coins and buy them tens of thousands of times more expensive than their face value.

The value of the coins is explained by several factors. There was no political stability in the Soviet Union, and therefore the coins were issued in small numbers. The money circulation system was full of reflections of different obverses, but the number of each of them was low. Coins were minted by different state authorities, different mints, and one replaced the other in a short period of time. It was an endless kaleidoscope of events.

Secondly, monetary reforms came into force one by one, and, as a rule, they required the destruction of pre-reform circulations. Coins managed to stay in circulation for a very short time.

The next factor was the hostilities that broke out in the Soviet Union throughout the existence of the country. Both the printing of money and the minting of coins during the Great Patriotic War, for example, are of interest to numismatists and falerists, because they took place in conditions of a shortage of both labor and production conditions. In addition, the coins were issued in small test runs, which often remained unclaimed. The fate of some circulations is completely unknown, some were immediately withdrawn from circulation.

The most expensive coins of the USSR are a voluminous list, which is updated with new items due to the above factors. You can appreciate a coin with historical knowledge, so it’s better to twist a strong rope from history and numismatics, and then go in search of the right copy. Who knows what wealth a great-grandmother's chest of drawers can store. Coins issued in the Soviet Union are rarer and more valuable than any coins of modern Russia.

In the 20s. The Soviet monetary system was in its infancy. And not only this. The issue of coins was also not established in the young country due to the dominance paper money(credit cards, banknotes, ration cards, etc.). The issue of change coins was a paramount task, so the opening of the mint illuminated the state with prospects in 1921. It was the Petrograd Mint. Then there were the most rare coins THE USSR.

1 ruble 1921 - 1922

It seems to be the same silver coin with the same denomination, minted according to the same pattern, but the cost is completely different. The ruble of 1921 costs 1700 rubles, but for the ruble of 1922 they will pay 9000 rubles. Their occurrence is approximately the same, and the difference in cost is due to historical conditions. The Petrograd Mint experienced the crisis in all its manifestations in 1922 (we remember where the silver reserves went in 1905-1920). It was the crisis that led to the redistribution of the mint's power. When Artur Hartmann was replaced by Petr Latyshev, the two millionth edition of silver rubles with Hartmann's initials was supplemented by an issue with the initials "PL".

Other coins 1921 - 1922 are of no particular value. 50 kopecks cost 450 rubles, the rest - 100 rubles. Only 50 kopecks in 1922 with a smooth edge are estimated at 18,000 rubles.

Characteristic.

The coin with a diameter of 3.35 cm is made of pure silver (900 standard). "Proletarians of all countries, unite!" - reads the inscription on the reverse. Moreover, the comma is placed on some copies in the center, on others it is adjacent to the word “countries”. In the center - the coat of arms of the RSFSR, below - the abbreviation S.S.S.R. On the obverse, as usual, the star and denomination are enclosed in a ring of oak and laurel branches. Below - the word "RUBLE". Rubles with the initials "AG" and "PL" in 1922 cost 9,000 rubles. The initials can be seen on the edge. Some ruble coins are made of other materials, but these are exceptional cases, and they are evaluated individually.

Rare coins 1924

50 kopecks in 1924 weighing 9 grams costs 11,000 rubles.
3 kopecks with a ribbed edge - 50,000 rubles. (Please note that the usual "three-ruble note" does not cost more than 250 rubles.). This is the most expensive coin of this year.
An interesting 20-kopeck coin with rounded letters "USSR", its price will be 45,000 rubles. Expensive varieties are significantly inferior in number to cheap copies of mass circulation.

The old expensive coins of the USSR are circulations of 1925. By this time, the required amount of copper fines in the stocks of mints had reached the desired mark, so in 1925 its release was suspended. But "polushki" appeared, which were still made under the royal coinage. The silver ruble disappeared from circulation, 3 and 5 kopecks will appear only in 1926. The design of the coins is as standardized as possible: both obverse and reverse are exactly the same. Only the denomination differed.

The most expensive coins 1925-1927

A 1-kopeck coin of 1927 can be bought for 2500 rubles. There is a variety with elongated letters "USSR", which was estimated at 50,000 rubles.
The cost of a coin of 2 kopecks in 1925 is a record - 42,000 rubles!
The price of rare varieties of fifty dollars increases to 23,000 rubles.

Until the 30s. In the 20th century, the volume of production of coins of different denominations varied, the image on the reverse changed, more practical materials replaced expensive ones. However, the most expensive coins of the USSR were issued during this period as well.

2 kopecks 1927

This small copper coin was in circulation for quite a long time, so the few specimens found are kept in collections in a worn condition. But the value of the coin is stable and practically does not depend on the degree of preservation. The usual auction price is 75,000-80,000 rubles.

Characteristic.

No different from other coins of the same year of issue. The denomination is inscribed in a wreath of ears of corn and is located in the center of the disc. Under the denomination number is the word "penny", and below - 1927 issue.

3 kopecks 1927

It would seem that an unremarkable coin of golden color with a narrow edging, and the cost ranges from 2000 to 5000 rubles. The cost depends on the condition of the coin and the presence of distinctive characteristics: the absence of a mint mark, the year of issue or decorative elements - such copies will cost hundreds of thousands of rubles.

Characteristic.

Disc with a diameter of 22 mm made of aluminum bronze. The obverse is presented in the classic version: the denomination is framed by two ears of corn, under the number "3" - the word "kopeks", below it is the year of issue, and the composition is completed by a dot located under "1927". The reverse is the Soviet coat of arms in a thin frame, under the piping is the inscription “Proletarians of all countries, unite!”, At the bottom in the middle – “S.S.S. R.".

50 kopecks 1929

It was a trial run that was not released into circulation, and this is the reason for the exceptional rarity of the coin. Fifty dollars is missing even in the archives of the Leningrad Mint. But one copy is still known, and it is in a private collection. The current owner got it for 10,000,000 rubles. on the auction.

Characteristic.

The brilliance of the coin attracts not only with its uniqueness (there is only one surviving copy). Of interest is the artistic design of the coin, which is atypical for the mass minting of the USSR. A cupronickel coin without edging conveys the mood characteristic of the late NEP. On the obverse we see a factory and smoking exhaust pipes in the background. On the first - "50 kopecks", underlined by a ribbon of several lines. On the reverse is a tractor and the traditional slogan "Proletarians of all countries, unite!"

10 kopecks, 15 kopecks, 20 kopecks 1931

The most expensive change coins were stamped from 500 silver, so their price is determined not so much by the rarity as by the high cost of the material. Circulations were also destroyed - they were simply melted down. These coins are rarely found on the numismatic market; you can buy one of the copies for at least 65,000 rubles. However, for the quality of VF they will require 95,000-100,000 rubles.

Characteristic.

The diameter of the coins is approximately the same: 10 kopecks - 17.27 mm, 15 kopecks - 19.56 mm, 20 kopecks - 21.8 mm. Material - 500 sterling silver. A typical narrow edging, a denomination decorated with two ears of corn, a dot under the year of issue - all these elements will be present in dozens of mint circulations of the USSR. The reverse features a relief Soviet coat of arms and the same slogan.

5 kopecks 1933

The bronze penny circulated in the money circulation for quite a long time. Finding a coin as XF is almost impossible. The price is decent - from 25,000 rubles. A worn coin without visible mechanical damage will cost about 8,000 rubles.
Characteristic.

The 5 gram coin is made of aluminum bronze, the diameter is 2.5 cm. The design is typical for all coins of the 20s and 30s.

20 kopecks 1934

These are the famous so-called "hammerers". The coins earned this name due to the image of a hammer on the obverse. It is impossible to establish the number of circulation, because for some reason it was completely destroyed, except for a few dozen that fell into the hands of collectors. The design of the coin included a huge number of difficult-to-perform elements, so the two-kopeck pieces were not included in the money circulation of the Soviet Union. There are about 15 copies left of the test run, one of them is in the Hermitage. You can sell a coin for 95,000-100,000 rubles.

Characteristic.

The aesthetic design of the coin is fundamentally different from the numismatics of the 30s. The face value on the obverse was not the central and main element of the composition. Attention is focused on the image of a proletarian in a working apron with a hammer in his hand. He holds a figured shield, on which the denomination is indicated - "20 kopecks". A little above the hammer is the year of issue - 1934. Under the piping is a circular inscription "UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS". On the reverse is the coat of arms of the USSR.

Each period of the history of our state was distinguished by its laws, orders and, of course, coins. In this article, we will consider one of the longest periods in the history of our country - the years of the existence of the Soviet Union and the coins that were issued during this difficult time.

Surely many of us still have at home USSR coins. However, only a few are aware that some of these coins can be of high value to numismatists.

The value of coins from the times of the USSR can be explained by various factors:

small circulations of coins due to political instability;
permanent monetary reforms requiring the destruction of previous circulations, due to which the coins were in circulation for only a short time;
frequent hostilities, due to which coins were minted in conditions of scarcity;
trial runs that did not get into circulation.

How much are the coins of the USSR today, and which coins are the most valuable for collectors? To answer these questions, let us turn to the history of the 20s - 90s of the last century.

Coins of the USSR of the 20s

In the early 1920s, the monetary system of the USSR was just beginning to be built. In the course were mainly paper money, for the exchange of which coins were required. That is why in 1921 the Petrograd Mint was opened, where the first coins of the USSR were minted.

The new coins were minted in small batches, as it was not known how well they would take root. One mint was not enough for minting, and in 1923 the Krasnaya Zarya telephone factory was connected to issue copper coins.

By 1925 coins of the USSR kopecks enough was produced from copper, so their release was suspended. The silver ruble also ceased to be issued. Instead, they began to mint polushki.

In 1926, they began to mint coins of 3 and 5 kopecks, which were brought to the same standard and outwardly differed only in denomination. By the end of the 1920s, it was understood that coins should be minted from more practical metals.

Most valuable coins 1920-1929 years of release:

1 ruble 1921 from silver - 1700 rubles;
50 kopecks 1922 with a smooth edge - 18,000 rubles;
1 ruble 1922 from silver - 9000 rubles;
3 kopecks 1924 with a ribbed edge - 50,000 rubles;
20 kopecks 1924 with rounded letters of the USSR - 45,000 rubles;
50 kopecks 1924 weighing 9 grams - 110,000 rubles;
1 kopeck 1925 - 4000 rubles;
2 kopecks 1925 - 50,000 rubles;
1 kopeck 1927 - 2500 rubles;
2 kopecks 1927 made of aluminum bronze - 75,000 rubles;
3 kopecks 1927 - 2000 rubles;
5 kopecks 1927 - 7000 rubles;
50 kopecks 1929 (trial circulation) - 10 million rubles.

Expensive coins of the USSR of the 30s

By the beginning of the 1930s, silver coins had ceased to be issued completely; the last silver circulation was issued in 1931. Instead, they began to use an alloy of copper and nickel for minting 10, 15 and 20 kopeck coins.

The most famous coin of this time was the "hammerer" made of nickel with a face value of 20 kopecks in 1934. The name comes from the hammerhead depicted on the obverse. The coin belonged to a trial run and was almost completely destroyed "for technical reasons", less than a hundred copies survived.

The cost of coins of the USSR 1930-1939 years of release:

10 kopecks 1931 from 500 silver - 65,000 rubles;
15 kopecks 1931 from 500 silver - 65,000 rubles;
20 kopecks 1931 from 500 silver - 65,000 rubles;
5 kopecks 1933 from bronze - 5000 rubles;
20 kopecks 1934 "Hammer" - 95,000 rubles;
5 kopecks 1935 - 5000 rubles.

Valuable coins of the 40s of the 20th century

In 1941 the Great Patriotic War, which led to the almost cessation of coinage. During the war years, only the Leningrad Mint, moved to Krasnokamsk, worked. After the end of the war, a widespread restoration of production and housing began, so there was no time to issue new coins.

At the same time, the number of administrative-territorial parts of the USSR changed from 16 to 15, and this number appeared on the reverse as the number of bandages of ears. Therefore, all penny coins in 1947 had to be reissued. The new coins were made from bronze without impurities.

All coins minted in 1947 are rare and therefore expensive, starting at 50,000 rubles.

The cost of coins of the USSR of the 50s

In the early 50s, the production of coins began to resume. New cheap alloys were created from copper, zinc, nickel and iron, chromium, nickel, of which a large circulation was made at the Leningrad Mint.

In 1958, a re-issue was again required, due to which a large number of coins had to be disposed of. The ears on the obverse of the new aluminum bronze coins were replaced with laurel branches. Coins of the USSR 1958 classified as rare, and have a cost of 20,000 to 70,000 rubles.

Coins of the USSR of the 60s - 90s

The period from 1960 to 1991 was relatively stable, so it can be viewed as a whole.

In 1961, during the new monetary reform, 1, 3, and 5 kopeck coins were issued, and a half coin began to be issued again, which, however, soon disappeared from circulation due to the inconvenience of use.

In 1965, the first commemorative coin denomination of 1 ruble, after which others began to be issued in honor of anniversaries. Although such coins are valuable, since they were issued in large numbers and from cheap metals.

In the 70s and 80s, coins were made in large numbers, so most of them are not valuable. Only in the early 90s, several limited editions of coins were issued due to the economic and political crisis.

Valuable coins issued in 1960-1991:

5 kopecks 1970 - 4500 rubles;
15 kopecks 1970 - 7500 rubles;
20 kopecks 1970 - 3000 rubles;
5 kopecks 1990 MMD - 5000 rubles;
10 kopecks 1990 MMD - 4000 rubles;
20 kopecks 1991 without designation of the place of minting - 15,000 rubles;
10 rubles 1991 MMD from bimetal - 15,000 rubles.

Thus, in the era of the USSR, many coins were issued, which today are of great value. So expensive coins of the USSR it is quite possible to find at home among old coins.

It is worth noting that the prices for coins in the article are approximate, they may differ depending on the condition of the coin, as well as the place of its sale or purchase. To familiarize yourself with photo of coins of the USSR, go to the appropriate section of the site.

Please note that the prices indicated for each of the coins are the average of the sale of these coins at various auctions. If you have become the proud owner of an expensive USSR coin, you can find out its exact value only after checking its authenticity and condition.