30287: Crimea. Catherine II silver 5 Kopecks 1787-TM MS

Crimea. Catherine II silver 5 Kopecks 1787-TM MS62 NGC, Tauric mint, KM88 (Rare), Bit-1282 (R3), Ilyin-40 Rub., Petrov-50 Rub., Plate 40, 325 (Very Rare), Sev-2369 (Very Rare), Uzd-4355 (Very Rare), Diakov-1151 (R3). Cordlike edge slanted to right. Variety with small pellets around 5. One of the rarest emissions of the Tauric mint in Feodosia, ranking only behind the extremely rare 2 Kopecks of the same series, and apparently one produced for presentation to the Tsarina herself. In the spring of 1787, Gregory Potemkin, a favorite of Catherine II and her lover, was arranging for the visit of the empress to the newly acquired lands of New Russia and Crimea following a series of victorious wars against the Ottomans--a program that would live on in history thanks to the creation of the infamous 'Potemkin villages.' According to the records collected by Diakov, Catherine was presented with a series of silver 2, 5, 10, and 20 Kopecks on her visit to the Tauridian mint on May 28, 1787, with the hand-cut style of the dies clearly indicating that these were produced for a special purpose rather than just for standard circulation. Deemed as "very rare" even by Petrov and priced at 50 Roubles (a hefty sum!) in his 1899 catalog, the silver 5 Kopecks generally does not become available on auction, with this presently being the sole certified example. Possessed of a far nicer visual appearance than the Sincona/Soedermann specimen, and a truly singular opportunity. Sold with old collector's notes and lot info giving provenance. HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved