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10 000 Roubles Polar Bear
| Issuer | Bank of Russia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1997 |
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| Reference(s) | Y#599, CBR#5221-0002, Schön#561 |
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| Obverse lettering | 10000 РУБЛЕЙ 1997 г. Au 999 ММД 1КГ БАНК РОССИИ (Translation: Roubles MMD Bank of Russia) |
| Reverse description | A naturalistic composition depicts a polar she-bear accompanied by two cubs, rendered against a background of ice hummocks with a bird in flight and the sun above the horizon, evoking the Arctic environment. The design conveys a sense of maternal protection and the fragility of the polar ecosystem, executed in finely detailed high-relief engraving by Alexandra Arsenyevna Dolgopolova. The inscription «СОХРАНИМ НАШ МИР» (PROTECT OUR WORLD) is positioned along the upper rim, framing the scene as part of the Bank of Russia's Wildlife Conservation series. The reverse field is polished to a mirror-like proof surface, with the figurative elements in frosted relief to enhance contrast and artistic depth. |
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| Additional information |
This is one of the largest gold coins ever produced by the Goznak mint, issued as part of Russia's "Wildlife" series during a period when the Bank of Russia was aggressively expanding its bullion and commemorative programs in the years immediately following Soviet collapse. The 1997 date places it just months before the August 1998 financial crisis that wiped out the rouble and devastated domestic savings — coins of this denomination were never remotely intended for circulation, but the timing gives the series an inadvertent historical edge.
At just over one kilogram of .999 fine gold, production numbers were necessarily tiny, and surviving examples rarely trade outside specialist auctions.