Which Communist countries produced circulating silver coinage?

In communist Russia, silver coinage circulates you.

 

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Over the years I have purchased some Soviet coinage. Additionally I've bought several USSR Olympic commemorative coins, usually for around melt.

Of interest, however, is the early Soviet coinage of China and what was to become the USSR.

The first coin is a Chinese Soviet Republic dollar, 1934, issued by the Szechuan-Shensi Soviet. I acquired this coin back in the early 1980's from a San Francisco dealer, who specialized in Chinese and other Asian coins, Al Tom. Al was an institution back then, and he always had a great selection of Chinese and other coins at the local shows.

The history of this coin is part of a crucial and turbulent point in China's political struggles in the 1920s and 1930's. Purged from Shanghai and other cities by the Nationalists (KMT), Mao and his followers (CPC) embarked on what became known as the Long March (actually as series of marches), October 16, 1934 – October 22, 1935 to the northwest. From their base in Szechuan, the People's Army conducted guerilla war against the invading Japanese and continued fighting the Nationalists. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, the civil war intensified again, with the CPC successfully defeating the KMT, resulting in their retreat from the Chinese mainland in 1949. The People's Republic of China was founded in October of that year. The KMT established itself on the neighboring island of Taiwan, with a proclamation declaring Taipei as the temporary capital of the Republic of China in December 1949. Needless to say, this conflict has continued to be a focal point in geo-political politics to the present day.

This example is small solid stars variety, Y 513.2. As these coins go, it is quite attractive, somewhat crude, but with not glaring defects. It weighs 26.0 grams, and is 39mm in diameter, medal orientation, slightly rotated (1 h.).



The second Soviet coin was issued by Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1917-1922), in 1922. The mint is ПЛ which I think is Leningrad.

This coin came by way of a trip to Long Beach in 1990. It's another nice example, and pretty high grade as these rubles go.



The third coin is quite special. It is a proof Worker ruble, produced in 1924 by the newly created USSR.

Back in 1990 (or was it 1991?), Heritage conducted an auction at the coin show in Santa Clara, California. This coin, in a very early PCGS slab was one of the lots in that sale. The sale still has the lot sticker on it.

There are not too many of these proofs around, and this example is in good nick, with nice fields and no handling marks that I can see.

 

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