3 Roubles Lynx

Part of Russia's ongoing wildlife conservation series, this issue was struck at a moment when the post-Soviet mint infrastructure was still stabilizing after the collapse of state industry. The Eurasian lynx had been hunted to near-extinction across much of European Russia by the mid-20th century, and its gradual recovery in the Siberian taiga made it a deliberate choice for this series — political messaging through natural history.

Mintage for the 1995 issues in this silver wildlife program was capped at 40,000 pieces across most denominations, though actual distribution through the newly liberalized Russian coin market was uneven.