Y-59.3; Bit-67. Mintage of only 22,000 and nearly 100 times more scarce than the prior 1912 portrait Ruble, which itself sells for a significant premium in mint state. Clearly struck from fresh dies with hair detail that is absolutely astonishing. With such a minuscule mintage to begin with, it stands to reason that the dies would be fresh, but to see the coin in hand is to experience what the issue was supposed to look like all along, including years when the mintage soared into the millions. That all said, the piece offered here is desirable on an number of levels, not just because of its key date status, but also as a vastly superior type coin for the series. A few light marks in the fields set the limits for the grade, the blistering bright white luster tends to overwhelm what few contact marks are present, leaving the portrait as the central area of focus. An opportunity not to be missed for those seeking key date high quality Russian coinage. NGC MS-62.
