Rouble - Catherine II

Catherine II's rouble coinage of this period was produced under the monetary reforms she inherited from Peter III and subsequently modified — the .750 fineness reflects a deliberate debasement from the higher-silver standards of earlier reigns, part of ongoing efforts to manage the costs of her expansionist wars against the Ottomans and the administrative burden of the newly acquired territories following the first partition of Poland in 1772. The St. Petersburg Mint was by this point the dominant striking facility in the empire, having eclipsed Moscow in both output and technical consistency.

C#67b distinguishes a specific die variety within the series. Collectors should note that the 1777–1782 span covers issues from multiple obverse dies.