150 Roubles The Sleeping Beauty

Part of Russia's "Skazki Narodov Mira" (World Folk Tales) series, this issue draws on the Perrault version of the tale rather than any specifically Russian source — an unusual choice for a national mint asserting post-Soviet cultural identity. The series was produced in extremely limited quantities aimed squarely at the Western collector market during a period when the Bank of Russia was aggressively developing its proof bullion program to generate hard currency.

Platinum issues from this series consistently see lower survival rates in pristine condition than their gold counterparts, largely due to the metal's susceptibility to hairlines from improper handling at the point of sale.