25 Roubles Capricorn

Part of the Bank of Russia's zodiac series issued in 2002, these small-format gold pieces were produced as collector items rather than for circulation, with mintages kept deliberately low to sustain demand across the twelve-sign set. The series was one of several initiatives by the CBR in the early 2000s to develop a domestic bullion and numismatic market following the 1998 ruble collapse, which had devastated public confidence in Russian financial instruments. Capricorn, covering births from late December through mid-January, was among the more commercially viable signs given the overlap with the Russian New Year — the country's most significant annual celebration.