Loading...
Sometimes, historical events are deliberately silenced, but decades later, artifacts are discovered that contradict the official version. One such piece of evidence is the legendary Constantine Ruble, which remained in secret confinement for more than half a century after its minting.
Sometimes, historical events are deliberately silenced, but decades later, artifacts are discovered that contradict the official version. One such piece of evidence is the legendary Constantine Ruble, which remained in secret confinement for more than half a century after its minting.
Appearing from obscurity, this coin shed new light on the dramatic events of the interregnum and the Decembrist revolt. The ruble is one of the rarest and most expensive Russian coins, and its existence raises many questions.
On the obverse of the ruble is a minted profile and the inscription: 'Constantine I Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia 1825'. The reverse depicts the state coat of arms, indicates the fineness and weight, and bears the mint mark.
The paradox is that in Russian history, there was never an emperor named Constantine. In the first half of the 19th century, three rulers sat on the throne:
The question arises: was this coin a curiosity or a mistake? If so, why was it considered a state secret during the reign of Nicholas I?
The story of the Constantine Ruble began on the cold morning of November 27, 1825. On that day, a courier delivered news to St. Petersburg of the sudden death of Emperor Alexander I in Taganrog. Since Alexander had no children, the crown was to be inherited by the next brother in line, Tsesarevich Constantine.
The order of succession in Russia had undergone changes. Peter I abolished the traditional order, giving the monarch the right to appoint their own successor. However, Emperor Paul I, fearing palace coups, reinstated the pre-Petrine law: the throne passed to the eldest son, or in his absence, to the closest relative. According to this law, all rights to the throne after Alexander's death belonged to Constantine.
The brothers Alexander and Constantine, only a year apart in age, were raised together. Their grandmother, Catherine II, planned to pass the Russian throne to Alexander, while preparing the throne of the King of Greece for Constantine, a kingdom she never managed to conquer.
During the lifetime of Alexander I, Tsesarevich Constantine secretly renounced his claims to the Russian crown. His divorce from a German princess and marriage to a Polish noblewoman deprived his wife and children of the right to claim the throne in the future.
Constantine, a fearless warrior and commander-in-chief of the troops in Poland, was convinced that accepting power would lead to his death. He feared repeating the fate of assassinated emperors:
As a relic, he kept a gold ruble with which Catherine II had rewarded her husband's assassins, constantly reminding him of the danger.
Constantine's secret abdication was formalized by Alexander I in a manifesto. This secret state act was kept in sealed envelopes in several key locations: in the altar of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, as well as in the State Council, the Senate, and the Synod in St. Petersburg. According to the manifesto, the younger brother, Nicholas, was appointed heir to the throne.
Nicholas knew that he was disliked by the guard for his rudeness and drill-sergeant mentality. With Constantine absent from the capital, his ascension to the throne could be perceived as a seizure of power. Therefore, Nicholas took a risky step: he was the first to swear allegiance to Constantine and had the courtiers and the guard do the same.
At that moment, the mint urgently began work on producing silver Constantine Rubles. A total of six trial coins were minted. The steel dies used for minting are still kept in the Hermitage. For a short period, without wanting it, Constantine became the emperor of all Rus'.
Even the Dowager Empress in a letter urged Constantine to come to St. Petersburg from Warsaw, addressing him as: 'You are the emperor.' However, Constantine refused, stating that his arrival would look as if he were personally installing his brother on the throne, and that Nicholas should do it himself. In the end, Nicholas decided to demand a new oath of allegiance.
This confusion over the succession became the pretext for the revolt. Under the guise of defending Constantine's rights, the Decembrist conspirators refused to swear allegiance to Nicholas. The soldiers they roused marched to the square, demanding 'the legitimate Emperor Constantine and his wife, Constitution.'
The goal of the noble revolutionaries was to seize the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress, abolish the autocracy, and end serfdom. They even considered assassinating Nicholas. The revolt was brutally suppressed, and Nicholas issued a special decree declaring the day of his accession to the throne to be the day of Alexander's death, thus erasing the interregnum period from history.
After the suppression of the revolt, neither Emperor Constantine nor the Constantine Ruble were supposed to exist. All six trial coins were 'arrested' and hidden in the secret archives of the Ministry of Finance. In court circles, only timid rumors about them circulated, which soon died down.
Only in 1878, by decree of Alexander II, were these rubles officially declassified and found their first owners. Today, only two authentic examples remain in Russia. Meanwhile, the number of forgeries increases every year.
Now, the Constantine Ruble has begun its second life. It is one of the rarest and most expensive Russian coins. Wealthy collectors and the world's largest museums seek to acquire it for their collections, which confirms its exceptional historical and numismatic value.
