RUSSIA, Tsars of Russia. Nikolai II Aleksandrovich, 1894-1917. Rouble 1897 ✱✱ (Silver, 33 mm, 20.00 g, 12 h), so called 'Brussels Trial Pattern with star and bird edge', Bruxelles (Brussels). Б.М.НИКОЛАЙ II ИМПЕРАТОРЬ - И САМОДЕРЖЕЦЪ ВСЕРОСС. Bare head of Nikolai II to left. Rev. РУБЛЬ 1897 Г. Crowned double eagle, value and year below. Bitkin 207. Julian 1200. Kazakov 81. Uzdenikov 2079. Very rare. Nicely toned. Light scratches, otherwise, very fine.


The backstory of the enigmatic ‘Brussels Trial Pattern' Roubles is anything but settled. Uzdenikov was, in all likelihood, the first to spread the idea that these coins were actually patterns (V. V. Uzdenikov: Russian Coins, Moscow 1992, p. 151, no. 2079). Since the 1990s, Roubles distinguished from the standard issue by a star and bird motif (an incompletely struck star) in the edge inscription have been marketed as pattern rubles.

It’s well known that, toward the end of the 19th century, there were forces in Russia pushing to bring the monetary system in line with Western Europe -France in particular. On January 2, 1897, the Grand Finance Committee convened under the Tsar’s chairmanship at the initiative of Finance Minister Witte. At that meeting, it was resolved to reform the currency system and introduce the gold standard. Against that backdrop, a ruble variant struck at the Brussels Mint -which worked closely with the Monnaie de Paris- sounds entirely plausible.

And yet, the evidence is awkward: these pieces clearly entered circulation, which casts fresh doubt on their being patterns at all. What is beyond dispute is that the 1897 Roubles with this distinctive edge design are very rare -and remain one of the enduring mysteries of Russian numismatics.