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25 Roubles Russian Ballet
| Issuer | Soviet Union |
|---|---|
| Year | 1991 |
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| In circulation to | 1991 |
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| Obverse description | The State coat of arms of the Soviet Union, featuring a hammer and sickle superimposed on a globe, flanked by wheat sheaves bound with a ribbon and surmounted by a five-pointed star, occupies the upper portion of the field. Below the coat of arms, the Cyrillic legend СССР (USSR) is inscribed across the mid-field, with the denomination 25 РУБЛЕЙ (25 Roubles) prominently displayed in large numerals and lettering in the lower field. The date 1991 appears along the lower rim, while the fineness mark Pd999, the weight 31.1, and the Leningrad Mint monogram ЛМД are inscribed in the field to the left and right respectively. |
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| Obverse lettering | СССР Pd999 ЛМД 31,1 25 РУБЛЕЙ 1991 (Translation: USSR LMD 25 Roubles) |
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| Additional information |
The 1991 Soviet palladium ballet series sits at an unusual intersection of late Soviet economics and Western hard-currency strategy. These coins were never intended for domestic circulation — the USSR issued them explicitly to generate foreign exchange in the final, desperate years before dissolution, targeting collector markets in Europe and North America. Palladium was chosen partly because Soviet mines in Norilsk supplied a dominant share of global palladium output, making it a resource the state could monetize without depleting gold reserves.
The August 1991 coup attempt against Gorbachev occurred the same year these were struck. Coins from this issue were already in distribution channels abroad when the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist in December.