Central Bank of Russia commemorates 150 years since the birth of Russian poet K.D. Balmont

The latest sterling silver coin from the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has just been released and features a commemoration of the life of Russian poet, Konstantin Dmitrievich Balmont. Considered one of the major figures of the Silver Age of Russian Poetry, his books Burning Buildings and Let Us Be Like the Sun were widely acclaimed. Constantly enmeshed in the political turmoil of turn of the century Russia and the birth of the Soviet Union, he died in Paris in 1942. His poems have been set to music by some of the 20th centuries finest composers, like Profokiev, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky.

The coin is typically Russian in design. The obverse features the usual relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation, a great looking double-headed eagle. Sensibly, the coin inscriptions such as date, denomination and composition are all kept on the obverse so as not to detract from the main design, something we like here.

The reverse design by L.A. Evdokimova (sculpted by A.A. Dolgopolova) depicts Balmont in middle age, seemingly based on a portrait from 1905 by Valentin Serov. Three stars sit in the mirror proof background along with his facsimile signature and the dates of his birth and death. The coin is set to commemorate 150 years since his birth, but could easily be said to mark 75 years since his death, dying as he did in 1942.

Struck at the St. Petersburg Mint, the coin weighs 17 grams in total of which 15.55 (½oz) is pure silver, the coin itself being sterling (0.925). A certificate of authenticity is included with the coin, but not a box, although some dealers offer an aftermarket one. The mintage is limited to 3,000 pieces and the coin should be available to buy any time now.