1 Rouble Red-breasted Goose

Part of Russia's early post-Soviet wildlife conservation series, this rouble was issued at a moment when the Central Bank was simultaneously managing catastrophic ruble inflation and launching a serious collector coin program — an odd pairing of fiscal crisis and numismatic ambition. The Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis) breeds almost exclusively on the Taymyr, Gydan, and Yamal peninsulas of Siberia, and was already listed as a vulnerable species at the time of issue.

Struck at the Moscow Mint (MMD) in proof finish with a mintage of 60,000 pieces.