Crimean Surp Khach monastery from the fourteenth century featured on newest Russian silver coin

The Central Bank of Russia is back with its latest Crimean themed silver coin. Not one linked to current events in the region, this is instead a look at the rich historical past of the Crimean Peninsula. Founded in 1358, the Surp Khach Monastery, literally Monastery of the Holy Cross, is located near a small historical town in Eastern Crimea called Stary Krym. The town is thought to have given its name to the region, a derivative becoming Crimea.

A picturesque building, the coin is a relatively faithful depiction of it, with some depth given by a stone stele and some foliage. It’s a typically CBR style of coin and will likely have appeal in that market, Moscow Mint regular designer F.S. Andronov being responsible, with the job of turning that design into a coin sculpt undertaken by A.D. Schablykin. The obverse is the standard double-headed eagle emblem. Struck in an ounce of sterling silver, the coin has a mintage of 5,000 pieces and is available now.

OBVERSE:  on the mirror field of the disc the relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation, over it the semicircular inscription along the rim “РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ” (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), framed on both sides by doubled rhombuses, below under the coat of arms: to the left indications of the precious metal and its fineness, to the right the fine metal content and the mint trade mark, at the bottom in the centre, in three lines the inscription “БАНК РОССИИ” (BANK OF RUSSIA), the denomination of the coin “3 РУБЛЯ” (3 RUBLES), the year of issue “2017 г.” (2017).

REVERSE: on the mirror field of the disc the relief images of the Surb-Khach monastery and a khachkar, a stone stele with a carved image of a cross, at the top along the rim the inscription “МОНАСТЫРЬ СУРБ-ХАЧ” (SURB-KHACH MONASTERY), on the left the inscription in two lines “ОСН. В XIV в.” (FOUNDED IN THE 14TH CENTURY), at the bottom the inscription in two lines “РЕСПУБЛИКА КРЫМ” (CRIMEA REPUBLIC).