Landmark reference on the copper coinage
of Russia updated
By Michael Brady
In the Soviet Union, collectable coins were found in museums, but
not legally elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, the native literature on Russian
numismatics was sparse. Fortunately, Soviet repression was not global,
and a body of literature was built up other countries. Starting in
1977, Reinhold Kaim of Hagen, Germany, developed a fine series on
Russian coins back to the time of Czar Alexander I. In the USA, The
Russian Numismatic Society built expertise and published a quarterly
journal that now is considered a must for serious collectors. In 1977,
Bernhard Brekke's monumental lexicon, "The Copper Coinage of
Imperial Russia, 1700-1917" was published in Sweden. Encyclopedic
in size and quality of binding, it remains a standard reference, regrettably
out of print and now available only in rare and old book shops.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December changed Russia and
triggered a spate of new books on its coinage. In the USA, Robert
Julian published "Russian Silver Coinage 1796-1917" in 1995,
and Ran Zander published "The Silver Rubles & Yefimoks of
Romanov Russia 1654-1917" in 1996. In Russia, U.V. Uzdenikov
published "Russian Coins 1700-1917" in Moscow in 1992. And
in Norway, Bernhard Brekke joined with Tom Willy Bakken to compile
the 1997 Supplement to "The Copper Coinage of Imperial Russia."
At 126 pages in hardcover, the Brekke-Bakken Supplement is far smaller
than the Brekke lexicon of 1977, but rests on a more global spectrum
of expertise. In addition to the authors, contributions were made
by Dmitry Alexandrov, Dmitry Markov, Ran Zander, John Dalquest, Alexander
Basok, R.W. Julian and the Journal of the Russian Numismatic Society
of the USA, Hans J. Schlotfelt of Germany, V.V. Uzdenikov of Russia,
and Jens Aalborg and Gunnar Thesen of Norway. The scope is accordingly
broad, and the Supplement includes all information now available on
errors, overdates, overstrikes, fakes and new finds. Of particular
value to collectors are the numerous tabulations and high-quality
black-and-white photographs of coins. The photos have informative
captions, each with the succinct details, such as the characteristics
by which a fake can be identified as different from a genuine issue.
Though published in December 1997, the Supplement was first released
for international sale in April 1998, when a 16-page Price List insert
for it was published. The List is indexed to the book, and gives known
market prices, in US dollars.
"The Copper Coinage of Imperial Russia, 1700-1917, Supplement
1997", Oslo, Norsk Numismatisk Forlag, ISBN 82-90706-04-9, 126
pages hardcover, $49.95 (including book rate airmail shipment worldwide
for books ordered from the publisher). Orders may be placed through
book shops or directly to the publisher, Norsk Numismatisk Forlag,
Ovre Slottsgate 6, PO Box 355 Sentrum,
N-0101 Oslo, Norway, tel: (47) 23100000, fax: (47) 23100025.
