New Cameroon silver coin issued in remembrance of the end of the Romanov dynasty

With Russia so prevalent in world affairs again, there’s also a renewed interest in its past. One of the most pivoiotal events of the 20th century was without question the Russian Revolution and its baptism in the blood of the Tsars that had ruled the country for centuries. Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, their five children and a group that had chosen to accompany them were taken to Yekaterinburg on the night of 16-17 July 1918 and shot, bayoneted or clubbed to death by the Bolsheviks. Whatever the failings of the Romanov dynasty, its ending was particularly brutal and seemed to set a tone of casual killing that only really ended on a large scale with the death of Stalin.

The coin is issued as a centenary remembrance of the execution and is a one-ounce fine-silver coin with a coloured image of the Tsar and his family on the reverse face. A pearl is inset at the top. It’s a style popular in Russia itself and one used by such producers as JVP Berlin, for example. The coin is presented in a floating latex frame inside a themed sleeve, so no issues there. The mintage is set at 918 pieces and the coin is available to order now, with several of our sponsors selling it. There may be a 250g version coming, but we’ve yet to see confirmation of that.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: On 17 July 1918, the last ruler of the House of Romanov Nicholas II was killed in Yekaterinburg with his entire family. Why did he have to die? After the outbreak of the February Revolution it became clear that the tsar and his loved ones could not be sure about their future. The Imperial Family, betrayed by many Russian general officers, has been imprisoned. Due to the manner in which the killings were conducted – brutally, in hiding and in haste – Nicholas II and his relatives have been recognized as the martyrs of the Orthodox Church. The truth about their murder, which shocked the entire world, should never have been revealed. In consequence, many years had passed until the Tsar and his relatives became depicted on the Orthodox icons.

REVERSE: The coin’s reverse features the portrait of the Imperial Family imprinted on the coin’s surface with the use of colorful digital printing. Starting from the left side, we cans see the Duchess Maria, Tsarina Alexandra, Tsarevich Alexey, Duchesses Tatiana and Olga, Tsar Nicholas II and Duchess Anastasia. The portrait is infringed by an elegant ornament containing two coats of arms of Russia and a pearl.

OBVERSE: The obverse depicts the Church on Blood in Yekaterinburg, built on the site of the Ipatiev House where the execution of the imperial family took place. Next to it – monument to Tsar Nicholas II and his family located in front of the church.