Most likely, every person who lived during the time of the Union, or who has grandparents who lived at that time, has coins of that era in their "hiding places". And, perhaps, among them may lie such expensive USSR coins for which collectors are ready to give big money. They can be of great value today, decades later. What else intrigues the owners are rare and expensive coins of the USSR, the price of which is not measured simply in rubles. Therefore, look in the "secret". Maybe you also have such relics.
Some expensive coins of the USSR
Expensive may include:
- copies of the 20s, for example, a gold dime ;
- coins of the 30-40s also store their wealth, for example, silver 20 kopecks;
- money of the 50-70s, for example, 1/2 kopeks or 15 kopeks of the 1970 issue;
- some commemorative coins.
There are many such values. Therefore, having a coin, explore its value!
Gold dime
This coin is made of gold having the highest fineness. It was minted in the mint of Petrograd for only one year. The weight of gold in it is 8.6 grams. It was intended for calculations in the external economy, therefore, it practically did not get into circulation. However, almost all of the coins had to be melted back into gold bullion, because the money of the new Bolshevik state did not receive sufficient popularity in the international market. And although its circulation at that time was impressive - more than 2.5 million, very few have survived to this day. Its cost today ranges from 150 thousand rubles to Russia.
2 kopecks release 1925
Such expensive coins of the USSR are very rare. Given their limited edition, these two copper pennies at one time did not meet collectors at all. Its feature is the meridian emerging from under the end of the handle on the image. Today, these two pennies exist only in a few copies and are estimated at 60 thousand rubles.
2 kopecks release 1927
And this instance is even more rare. Its circulation was quite limited, so this coin is difficult to find today. Its cost is about 100 thousand. She is a rare "guest" among numismatists. The reverse of this small coin shows the face value - 2 kopecks, its date is 1927 and the figure is ears of wheat. On the obverse of two cents is the emblem of the Union and the inscription: "Workers of all countries, unite."
10, 15, 20 kopecks 1931 release
1931 was the last year when precious metals were used in the manufacture of coins. Therefore, silver pennies of this denomination are not only valuable and rare, but also noteworthy. They almost did not reach us. The exception is 20 kopecks, which are found a little more often. They can be sold for 150 thousand.
Other rare coins of the 20-30s
It was from the 1920s that the expensive penny coins of the USSR remained, which are hunted by all the numismatists of our time. At that time they were minted in the Petrograd Mint. This was the period of the formation of the Soviet monetary system, since the new state was just formed and there was an urgent need for means of purchase / sale. And since banknotes prevailed, coinage became a priority.
1 ruble minted in 1921 is, so to speak, the beginning of the country's monetary reform. Made of silver, it is decorated with a five-pointed star, surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurel. Its cost is relatively small - about 2000 rubles. But here the coin minted in 1922 increases the price more than 4 times. This is due to the change of power in the mint that occurred in 1922.
50 kopecks of 1924 were made of silver and had several types. The price of a coin exceeds the value of its metal. It is estimated at 11 thousand Russian rubles.
The 50 kopeck coin of the 1929 issue never got into circulation, because it was made as a test copy in a limited edition. Today, we know only about one sample of this denomination and year, which was acquired by a private collector for ten million rubles.
Among the expensive coins in denominations of 20 kopecks of the USSR, one can distinguish a copy made in 1934. Every collector would like to own it. But today, only about a dozen copies are known to exist. One of them is kept in the Hermitage. The fact is that they decided to destroy the entire batch immediately after its manufacture for unknown reasons.
Dear copies of the 50-60s
I would like to note that all coins made in the Soviet Union in 1947 are valuable and expensive, because the country's leadership ordered them to be disposed of, possibly due to marriage. There is one version - the mismatch of the minted coat of arms. Therefore, in our days only a few valuable copies of such coins have been preserved. In 2008, exposed coins of this year were bought at auction for a price of 200 thousand euros.
1958 was also noteworthy. Monetary reform was planned for this year, but it dragged on significantly. Therefore, the government decided to melt the entire batch of coins this year. Nevertheless, a small number of them fell into circulation. Denomination of coins in one, two, three and ten kopecks exists today and has a value of up to 150 thousand Russian rubles. Money of another nominal value, minted this year, is practically not found, so it can be estimated at millions.
In 1961, the government decided to mint a half penny coin. But due to the uselessness of this denomination and its inconvenience in payment, production was quickly stopped. Today, there are very few such coins and they are extremely expensive. Those who possess them can themselves assign the cost of a coin to the floor of a penny.
In 1967, the manufacture of a jubilee coin of 50 kopecks began. It depicts a monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. This coin acquired the name "Piglet of Ilyich." Its cost today is several tens of thousands of Russian rubles.
Expensive coins of the 60-90s

Copies minted between 1965 and 1976, from three to 20 kopecks, were published in a rather small print run. For this reason, each such coin has its own value. The value of such money these days is determined by the limits from 5 rubles (a coin of 10 kopecks of the 1976 issue) to 16 thousand (15 kopecks of the 1970 issue). It is noteworthy that during 1963 and 1964 coins in denominations ranging from 3 to 20 kopecks were not issued at all, and in subsequent years they were made in limited quantities. Therefore, the price of collectors is high. For example, among the expensive 5 kopek coins in the USSR minted in this period of years, one can distinguish 5 kopeks of the 1970 issue. Their cost is estimated at 9 thousand rubles. 10 kopecks of 1965 and 1966 have a cost of 4 and a half thousand. 15 kopecks of a three-year period, namely, from 1971 to 1973, is estimated at 8 thousand rubles. Coins with a face value of 20 kopecks, issued in 1970 and 1973, also have a cost of 8 thousand.

Another valuable period that is of interest to all numismatists is the year 1991. Since that time, the letters M or L have been put on all coins, which means the Moscow or Leningrad mints, respectively. Samples with such letters and the date of 1990 began to be used, although, most likely, they were minted in the next, 91st. The price of such coins reaches an amount of 20 thousand rubles. There are known instances on which the letter M or L. is not found. For example, this is a coin of 20 kopecks of the 1991 release, the cost of which is estimated at 25 thousand. The same 10 kopecks are more common, so they cost much less, 3 thousand.
The last instance of an expensive USSR coin is 10 rubles of the 1991 issue, made of two metals of white and yellow colors. They have a monogram of the Moscow Mint. The price of such a ten ruble is 30 thousand rubles.
Dear commemorative coins of the Union
Among the lot of money, it is perhaps important to single out another type of expensive coins from the time of the USSR - these are Soviet jubilee rubles. They have always been published in limited numbers, so today many numismatists prey on these items. Only some of them can be distinguished.
For example, 1 ruble of the 1965 issue with the name "Twentieth Years of Victory over Fascist Germany". Its price in excellent condition is about 10 thousand rubles. With defects, such rubles also have a considerable cost. 1 ruble with the date 1970 and the name "Lenin" stands today up to 40 thousand. 1 ruble of 1977, minted to the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution, costs tens of thousands of rubles. If someone owns a 1 ruble coin of the 1984 issue with the name βLomonosovβ (it has a mistake of the year - the 1984th is instead of 1986), such an owner can sell it for several hundred thousand rubles. Other coins also have a certain value.
Determining the value of Soviet coins
To find out the value, it is important to consider a number of factors. Taking them into account, you can understand what kind of treasure you possess. So what is important to consider?
- Firstly, the rarity of the coin. The less certain coins have reached our time, or the smaller the circulation, the more expensive they cost.
- Secondly, the appearance and preservation of the coin. The newer it looks, the greater its value.
- Thirdly, the face value. If we take into account all other factors, then, the larger the face value of the coin, the more expensive it costs.
- Fourth, metal. Naturally, the more expensive the metal used for its manufacture, the greater its value.
- Fifth, the popularity of the instance. The coin does not have to be rare. For example, money can be very attractive and have a beautiful appearance. Therefore, its cost can become much higher than real.
- Sixth, the age of the coin. It is clear that the older she is, the higher her price will be with subsequent years. That is, today there may be one price, and after 5-10 years it is already growing significantly.
Old coins are a good treasure and contribution
Over the years, old and expensive coins of the USSR become a good treasure and contribution for those who purchase them. There are two ways to make money on this.
The first way. For example, you purchased expensive coins in 3 kopecks of the USSR of a certain year for such and such an amount. In a few years, the amount of this money will increase significantly. Although there are reverse cases - these pennies are getting cheaper! Therefore, you need to be an expert in the field of numismatics in order to capitalize on this. It is also important not to fall into the trap of scammers who can counterfeit coins or exaggerate their real value.
The second way. It can be called a simple phrase - "find a treasure." If there are old Soviet coins in the piggy bank that you found at home or with your grandmother, be sure to study them and determine the value. Firstly, you can enjoy this process. And secondly, you can really find a real treasure. The main thing is not to cheapen your find.
So, the question "How much is the most expensive coin of the USSR today", as it turns out, is not so easy to find the answer. Each decade had its most expensive, rare, attractive specimens. Everyone, for sure, will agree that holding a coin in a hand that has survived generations, the Soviet era, and carries some value, you feel the extraordinary power of history.