What is the Low country coin club
A bit of our history
In 1960 a handful of coin collectors in the Low Country decided it would be a good thing to have a club of like minded men and women (it was all men in 1960.) H.H. Case, A.E. Tyner and Phil Jenkins led that group of men.
And that is what they did. Meeting at several locations occasionally, they talked and traded coins.
The Club held its first Coin Show June 12-14, 1964 at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston, SC.
In 2007, the Low Country Coin Club incorporated as a non-profit organization (NOT a 501(c)(3)) in the state of South Carolina.
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Currently the club is made up of about 60 members, men, women and youth. Dues are $10 a year for adults over 18 and $5 a year for those under 18.
POCKET CHANGE? - RUSSIAN 1771 SESTRORETSK RUBLE
This is a copy of an extremely rare Ruble and the largest coin ever minted. It is one millimeter wider and thicker than a standard hockey puck and weighs approximately 1.05 kg.
The coin’s obverse features a Romanov (double-headed) eagle with the year issued on the breast, The reverse has a wreath/crown over the value in two lines.
The edge has script lettering.
A single example of this (1771) coin exists in the Smithsonian Museum (National Numismatic Museum) and two more are housed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Another example dated 1770 is also housed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
Other originals exist that are privately owned, though the total population is unknown. Copies of this coin are currently available that are made from the original dies. While a curiosity, they have no special numismatic value. Heritage Auctions has handled a single example of this coin that was sold on June 2, 2006 for $29,900 in VF condition (no, it was NOT slabbed!).
These coins were experimentally made during the reign of Catherine II (dated 1770 and 1771) at a time when there was a shortage of silver and gold by which to make standard rubles and an abundance of copper was available. Catherine’s reign included several armed conflicts and copper was explored to create rubles by which to pay for the needed armies. Paper notes were issued by Russia that were to be exchangeable for copper coinage. It was assumed to be more practical to issue a “large” copper ruble instead of 5 kopeck coins (the largest copper coin at that time). The Senate passed a law in 1770 authorizing copper rubles. It was first decided to saw them from copper rods of the appropriate diameter. The saws that were constructed to saw the copper rods easily became overheated resulting in unacceptable planchets. Subsequently, planchets were cast, then lathed to the specified dimensions., but this was far too costly. After eight years of poor results, a few samples were sent to the Senate after which it was determined impractical to issue further examples.
Maurice Snook
Low Country Coin Club
