Hello, My Grandma is coming to visit from Russian and I want her to buy some coins for me, do you guys know what is the best ones to collect and what years of the coins to collect? (I was thinking about coins from 1700-1899) Thanks
And Soviet era commemorative coins are not prohibited to leave country. Coins and other objects older than 50 years old can be seized in customs - laws have prevented "antiques" from leaving USSR and Russian Federation for a long time. Really the only way to get older stuff is to find someone that knows someone, because obviously lots of good coins come out of Russia all the time - so there must be exception for export licenses etc. Coins from the earlier era are best bought outside of Russia, because prices will be lower in North America than they are in Russia. I collect USSR and Russian coins myself, and try to find them in N. America instead because there is less collector interests and prices are lower. In the former USSR the prices at coin meets are usually too high, and sellers not very motivated to sell at what I am willing to pay.
I collected them, and know others that did also. You didn't advertise it, and didn't share with none but best family and friends.
Let me explain with more detail. In the early days of the USSR, the government took so many of the cultural treasures of the land and auctioned them off in foreign lands, so that artworks, priceless artefacts etc found new homes in Europe and in America. This was done to raise cash to be able to buy foreign goods like tractors - from Ford, factory equipment from Germany and Britain etc. This was also done with socialist zeal of ridding the country of "bourgeoisie" items that they believed a new socialist country did not need. Years later, that zeal for socialism failed, the factories and the farms were inefficient - and the country robbed itself of all the cultural treasures from earlier times. So a bit of background on why the Russian government no longer wants cultural treasures like old coins to leave the country.
Are you saying that coins minted before 1961 are considered illegal to be shipped out of the country? I see quite a few Russian sellers on eBay, got myself a few things from sellers in Moscow. Was there a chance those shipments could have been seized?
It could very well be true and you just got lucky the mail was not inspected and impounded. Not intentionally, but I have bought coins shipped from countries where exportation of ancient coins are illegal. I know which countries they are, but the seller represented himself on Ebay as living in another country. Not all mail is inspected, even if export is legally prohibited from a country.
Indeed, I have bought ancients from a seller I was led to believe from eBay auction was in Czech Republic, but the envelope had Turkish postage - definitely illegal to ship out ancient coins from Turkey. I have heard of a couple of arrests of people going through customs in Russia in the past few years - indeed arrests are very rare - but chaff off the officials enough they might well do it. Usually if they find stuff, they tend to just seize it and let you off with a stern warning. But I also know that it is possible to secure export licenses from the State to take out coins as there is a well known dealer in Russian coins that makes several buying trips over there every year.
I collect them, and buy them from wherever. Gees, and my kids and I have probably unwittingly left the country with them without even thinking about it. I remember one of my kids buying up some USSR era coins in a market somewhere and paying way too much for them. One distinction though - maybe if you are going through customs and immigration there - if you have a local passport, I haven't seen them bother you as much like they will people from western countries. And you think that is unfair? I can share a litany of tales of dealing with USA immigration and customs officials that are far more disturbing.
Does anyone have an idea of the Value of this coin and/or how good or bad the condition of this coin? I know the picture isn't great but it is best i can get as of right now
Most of my Russian coinage is USSR/CCCP 60s-90s but I have picked up a few silver "wire" coins and 1800s pieces but I believe all came from US dealers. My woman did by me a bag of rubles from Moscow but I think those were all moderns..
I had a large copper 1911 5 Kopeck given to me as a kid. One day, I decided to get all the coins from 1911 (gold excluded). Of course, to my surprise, the 50 kopecks and 1 rouble had to be rare. Most of the coins fell into place over the last decade or so. Still need to get the Ruble.