Lot 2829
Russia. Platinum Pattern 'Accession' Rouble 1894. Nicholas II, 1894-1917. Type 2. Proof struck in platinum. Edge plain. Diam. 38.6 mm. Weight 35 grams. Obverse: The conjoined busts of Czar Nicholas II and his Empress Alexandra Fedorovna facing right, after Anton Vasyutinsky (1858-1935). Reverse: Imperial double headed Russian eagle, date (1894) and denomination 1 (Rouble) below. One of only 2 pieces recently produced struck in platinum. Choice Brilliant Proof.
*Son of Czar Alexander III and Empress Feodorovna, Nicholas II was the last Russian Emperor. He ascended the throne after the death of his father in October 1894 and was crowned in May 1896. The ceremony in Moscow was overshadowed by a catastrophe on the Khodynskoe Field, where more than a thousand spectators were crushed to death. He married the daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig of Hessen, Alice Victoria Eleanor Louisa Beatrice (later Alexandra Feodorovna) and had five children.
According to contemporaries, Nicholas was a gentle and approachable man and those who met him easily forgot that they were face to face with an Emperor. In private life he was undemanding, but contradictions in his character led to weakness and inconsistency. He was a steadfast believer in the rights of a ruler and he stubbornly opposed change, even when circumstance and common sense demanded it. He tried desperately to cling to power during the revolutions of 1905 and 1917 and freedoms granted to people in his manifesto of October 1905 were soon annulled.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,400.
|
| |
| Unsold |
