Coin collecting, or numismatics, is the most popular type of collecting. Some consider it incorrect to call coin collecting numismatics, since this word refers to the science of the origin and history of coins. However, this does not change the essence of the process.
There are three main areas of coin collecting: thematic (collecting coins with certain images), collecting commemorative and anniversary coins, year-by-year (coins of a certain country by year and by mint, that is, they have certain marks of the mints of Russia or another state).
It is worth noting that collecting coins is a very expensive hobby. Vintage pieces can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Not everyone can afford to buy a piece of metal for that amount. Commemorative and commemorative coins also have a significant value, since in most cases they are made of precious metals or are issued in limited quantities. That is why among beginning numismatists, the most popular area of collecting is collecting yearbooks of the USSR and Russia. But not everything is so simple here either! Even coins of the same state, denomination, year of issue and the same condition can have different prices on the market.
Why are some coins more expensive?
For example, in Russian Federation Today there are two mints - in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Both of these enterprises produced coins of the same denomination during the same period of time. However, one of the mints may have released a limited edition. It is coins minted in smaller quantities that will have a higher value. The limited series may be explained by the fact that the mint could not keep up with the minting, and part of the order was transferred to a second one. The marks of Russian mints will help identify the manufacturer.
What is a brand?
The Mint is a state-owned enterprise engaged in the production of banknotes, orders, medals, memorial signs, and minting coins.
A hallmark is a sign, a designation of the enterprise where the coin was produced (minted). Letters, monograms, badges, drawings, and so on can serve as mint marks.
As noted earlier, its market value depends on which mint - Moscow or St. Petersburg - minted the coin.
The first domestic coin to bear a mint mark is the 1975 ruble, dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of Victory in the Second World War. The monogram (stamp) of the mint is minted at the bottom right of the image of the monument. Subsequently, mint marks were not placed on copper-nickel commemorative coins. In addition to domestic coins, the mark of the Russian Mint (SPMD - St. Petersburg Mint) is on the change coins of Tajikistan.
Where are the Russian mint marks placed on coins?
In 1991, the mint marks were the letters “M” and “L” - the Moscow and Leningrad Mints. On Soviet coins, the stamp was located to the right of the coat of arms. Exception - 5 and g.
On coins of different denominations minted in 1991-1992 (the so-called GKChP issue) there are various marks of Russian mints. The letter "M" - 10 kopecks, the letter "L" - 50 kopecks, monograms LMD and MMD - 1 ruble. On coins of this period, the mint marks are located below the denomination.
All modern coins in circulation indicate the mints of Russia (designations - M, MMD, S-P, SPMD). On small change coins (1-50 kopecks) under the horse’s hoof there can be an S-P or M. The letter “M” is on coins minted by the Moscow Mint, “S-P” - by the St. Petersburg Mint.
This principle is also observed on coins of 1, 2, 5 and 10 rubles. If you look closely, on the coin on the left under the paw of the double-headed eagle you can see the monograms MMD or SPMD (Moscow or St. Petersburg Mint, respectively). However, there are differences here too - on coins from the same mint and the same year of minting, the mark has a different location relative to the eagle’s paw. The market value of offset products is slightly higher.
Why are some coins missing marks?
It should also be noted that the marks of the Russian mints may not be on the coin. Most often, its absence is a manufacturing defect - the monogram or letter designation was simply forgotten to be applied during the production of the stamp. To date, four coins without a hallmark are known - 1 ruble 1993 (timed to coincide with the 130th anniversary of the birth of Vernadsky), 5 kopecks 2002 and 2003, 2 rubles 2001 with the image of Yuri Gagarin (40 years of the first human flight into the space). These coins are quite rare and, therefore, have special value for collectors.
As for Soviet coins, almost all of them have no mark. You can identify the mint by analyzing the coin itself in detail. Some features of the stamp design make it possible to determine the place of minting. The most obvious differences are in the letter designation on the coin.
History of the Moscow Mint (mark M, MMD)
History of the St. Petersburg Mint (mark L, S-P, SPMD)
The city in which the oldest operating mint in Russia is located is St. Petersburg. The Mint was founded in 1724 by Peter I. The Peter and Paul Fortress was chosen as the base. This enterprise is one of the largest mints in the world. The building is also a unique architectural monument and the oldest industrial enterprise in the city. The Mint produces insignia, orders, medals, and mints commemorative and commemorative coins, including coins made of precious metals.
Alexander Igorevich
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If in the future you want to have a collection of rare coins, then when collecting specific specimens it is also important to pay attention to the mint. Sometimes this knowledge helps to quickly determine the market value of a new product that comes into your hands. The same copy, produced by different yards, can differ in price several times.
History and modernity of Russian mints
There are only two mints operating on the territory of the modern Russian Federation. One works in Moscow, and the second in St. Petersburg. On modern coins the names are minted as "" or "". If the products are cheap, then they will simply have the letters “M” or “S-P”.
There are specimens on which no indication of origin at all. The cost of such a marriage increases significantly. The fact that usually the MMD stamp looks several times larger than the St. Petersburg stamp is alarming. In fact, there is nothing strange about this, because this is how it really is.
The first Russian mint was founded in 1534. This happened in the then capital of Moscow under Tsar John IV. In St. Petersburg, this institution was founded by Peter I in 1724. Since 1876, the mint in St. Petersburg became the only one in the country. Today it is still located on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress. In 1921, it was here that the minting of Soviet coins began. The Yekaterinburg Mint also operated in Russia from 1727 to 1876. At the Suzunsky copper smelter the yard operated from 1766 to 1847.
The designation of the mint on domestic coins has a long history. During the Soviet period, it was practically not present on coins. But one should not think that it was abolished by the Bolsheviks who came to power. In fact, Emperor Nicholas II contributed to the disappearance of the usual letters “SPB”, separated by dots. By entering the military campaign of the First World War, the tsar launched strong anti-German sentiments in society. The surge of hatred towards everything German was so powerful and rapid that already in August St. Petersburg changed its name to Petrograd.
In this regard, the St. Petersburg Mint also becomes the Petrograd Mint, and the same three letters “SPB” disappear from coins of penny denominations (the initials of mintmaster Viktor Smirnov continue to be minted on silver). Thus began the production of “yardless” royal coins. However, the empire itself did not have long to remain on the political map of the world.
LMD logo on the anniversary ruble
In the public consciousness, the return of the mint designation took place in 1991, when the letters “L” or “M” appeared on the entire line of coins (depending on whether the Leningrad or Moscow Mint minted them). However, this is a misconception. For the first time, the trademark was minted on an anniversary ruble dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the Victory. Below and to the right of the pedestal, on which the sculpture of the Motherland proudly stands, we can find the logo of the Leningrad Mint. The reasons why it appeared one-time and did not appear again at the Soviet copper-nickel anniversary are unknown. We can say that the phenomenon went almost unnoticed. Few people paid any attention to the small trademark, so this logo did not linger in the people’s memory.
Since 1977, the designation of the mint in the form of a three-letter abbreviation appears on gold chervonets, minted in large quantities before the Olympics. There were hopes that foreigners would buy up the original coins en masse. In 1981, the Leningrad Court sharply reduced the production of gold coins, so chervonets, with the designation LMD on the edge, are a welcome find among collectors of domestic investment coins. However, for the majority of Soviet citizens golden chervonets remained the realities of some other parallel world, therefore, here too, the designation of the mint was familiar to the initiates rather than to the general public.
M and L on 1991 coins
But to say that the massive return of the trademark took place in 1991 is not entirely correct. The letter "M" to the right of the coat of arms of the USSR is also present on coins of 1990 (denominations 5 and 10 kopecks). It is clear that this is a mistake, when the stamp pair was made up of the obverse intended for coins of 1991, and the reverse of 1990, which was somehow delayed in the technological chain. These coins are quite rare and have a high price among the collecting fraternity.
All coins of the new line, unofficially called “GKChP Coins,” have a mint designation. If the kryvennik and fifty kopecks are designated by letters ("M" for ten kopecks and "L" for fifty), then the ruble denominations are already decorated with a logo. On the ruble we can only see an elongated LMD logo, but the five, in addition to the Leningrad one, can also have a rounded Moscow monogram (MMD is valued a little more, but is not a rare coin). However, the difference between the logos is most strikingly manifested in the price of the bimetallic ten-ruble note. The ten LMD was issued in a huge circulation and is still a coin that is bought by weight. But if under the denomination there is a circle in which the curly letters MMD are visible, then the price of such a specimen immediately rises above the ten thousand mark.
Three options for 1992 change
A very interesting situation arose for the smallest denominations of 1992. Due to hyperinflation, pennies were washed out of circulation. Therefore, the letter designations were switched to coins in denominations of one ruble and five rubles. But the Moscow yard managed to mint some part of the circulation not with the letter “M”, but with the “MMD” logo. Let's look at fives with three types of notation. If “letter” coins are ordinary and are of no interest, then fives with a logo are not so often seen, and they have collection value(you can check the database of auction passes on our website).
Higher denominations of 10 and 20 rubles immediately had the designation of the mint in the form of a logo. However, both yards did a great job here, and pricing does not depend on the designation of the yard, but on the presence of magnetic properties for 1992 and their absence for 1993. The logo also adorns the bimetal, where Moscow coins are more valued.
M and SP under the horse's hoof
The designation of the court remained on the coins even after the denomination. But Leningrad regained its historical name of St. Petersburg, and the abbreviation LMD was transformed into SPMD. However, for small change coins they decided to leave exclusively the designation of cities (without mention of the mint). And the letter “M” appeared again on the penny denominations of 1997. Almost in the same place as on kopecks in 1991. And the letter “L” was replaced by a two-letter construction with a dot “S-P”. The obverse of penny denominations is decorated with the image of St. George the Victorious slaying a serpent with a spear. Therefore, we always remember, when we see the phrase “Look for the mint mark under the horse’s hoof,” that we are talking only about penny denominations.
MMD and SPMD under the eagle's paw
Ruble denominations have an image of a double-headed eagle on the obverse (analogous to the emblem of the Bank of Russia, the issuer of money in the Russian Federation). The phrase “We are looking for the designation of the mint under the eagle’s paw” is appropriate here. We are no longer talking about letters. Before us is a trademark of the mint in the form of the MMD or SPMD logo. A trademark, as it turns out, is not such a constant. If ruble denominations are decorated with the MMD logo in the form of a huge circle, then over time it becomes modest in size and noticeably flattens. But the SPMD logo remains unchanged. It is worth noting that most varieties of modern weather patterns are made up of precisely one or another location of the mint’s trademark relative to other elements of the design on the field of the coin.
"Lost" signs
An impressive novel like The Lost Symbol is unlikely to be written about them. But among collectors, coins without a yard mark are in steady demand. As in the years of the Union, the Moscow Mint distinguished itself here. For unknown reasons, he lost the “M” on part of the circulation of five kopecks in 2002 and 2003, as well as the MMD logo on the “Gagarinskaya” two-ruble note in 2001. The price of such coins is thousands of times higher than their sisters of ordinary varieties. Therefore, counterfeits have become more frequent. Basically, the logo on two rubles is polished, and St. Petersburg coins are often used. But counterfeits of patches have already been identified, although it is technologically more difficult to discreetly cut off a mark from a clad coin. There are coins without the designation of the yard and other years. But here it is important to remember that coins of recognized varieties are valued. If the design of the coin field is indistinguishable in all details from the familiar stamp where the yard is present, then it is just unminted. Of course, such coins are also of interest, but the attention paid to them is much more modest than to “legal” variants without a logo or letter.
Moving the logo to the denomination on the anniversary
On commemorative coins, the issuer and the trademark move to the side where the denomination is indicated, and it automatically becomes the obverse. The reason is clear - the other side is completely occupied with an image dedicated to an event, region or ancient city. On bimetallic tens, the logo is located at the bottom of the obverse. It is important not only in terms of collection (there are albums for the anniversary, taking into account double-yard issues), but also in terms of value. If you look at the price tag or the database of auction passes on our website, you will notice that coins from one mint are somewhat more expensive than exactly the same ones, but issued by another mint.
Since 2016, the eagle on the obverse of ruble denominations has changed its appearance, returning to the classic imperial appearance. We have already seen it like this on twenty-five ruble coins dedicated to the Sochi Olympics. We look for the trademark of the mint on banknotes of the new type in the usual place - under the paw of the eagle, although now it is turned upward and occupied by the power. So far, only the Moscow Mint is represented. But nothing prevents the St. Petersburg Mint from returning to minting the walker, and then we will once again see the SPMD logo under the eagle’s paw.
Latest auction prices for coins in Russian rubles
| Photo | Description of the coin | G | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kopecks 2002 M from 2 to 15 rub. | - | - | - | 15 | - | 2 | 10 | - | |
| 1 ruble 1991 LMD State Emergency Committee State Emergency Committee from 7 to 106 rub. | - | - | - | - | 7 | 8 | 106 | - |
| 1 ruble 1992 MMD from 21 to 110 rub. | - | - | - | - | 21 | - | 110 | - | |
| 1 ruble 1992 M from 1 to 199 rub. | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 199 | - | |
| 5 rubles 1992 MMD from 66 to 284 rub. | - | - | - | - | 66 | 284 | 268 | - |
| 5 rubles 1992 M from 45 to 162 rub. | - | - | - | - | - | 45 | 162 | - | |
| 1 ruble 1992 L from 1 to 110 rub. | - | - | - | - | 18 | 1 | 110 | - | |
| 5 rubles 1992 L from 1 to 100 rub. | - | - | - | 1 | 6 | 8 | 100 | - | |
| 10 rubles 2008 MMD Vladimir Vladimir (XII century) from 120 to 278 rub. | - | - | 120 | 193 | 233 | 240 | 278 | - |
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By carefully studying all the available coins for sale, you have the best opportunity to make a worthy choice. Many coins are distinguished by the presence of the abbreviation SPMD, as well as MMD. What are the differences? What is important to pay attention to when studying symbols?
SPMD and MMD coins: what are they?
- SPMD is a designation that indicates production in St. Petersburg.
- MMD indicates official release in Moscow.
SPMD and MMD coins: general information about the difference
SPMD is one of the most famous and largest institutions of this format in the whole world. It is planned to mint various commemorative and anniversary items, as well as ordinary items, using precious metals. The main focus is initially on coins. In most cases, government orders are carried out.
Successful activities started in 1724, and currently glorify St. Petersburg throughout Russia and neighboring countries. Manufactured modern products are offered with the abbreviation SPMD, which is the main difference. Modern coins boast an abbreviation under the bird's right foot. Previously, coins were issued with other designations in the form of letters, and their number turns out to be decent (7 options). 
MMD is one of the most famous coin manufacturers. The company is engaged in minting coins, fulfilling orders from foreign countries and private customers. Products include investment, commemorative, and precious metals of interest to numismatists. The institution has been successfully operating since 1942. The Moscow Mint, like the St. Petersburg Mint, is a member of the state association Gosznak, which corresponds to the current situation on the market. However, on the manufactured products, under the eagle’s right paw, one can note the presence of the abbreviation MMD or M, which indicates a different manufacturing institution.
On penny coins, the abbreviations MMD, M are placed under the horse’s hoof. This rule applies to both mints. In addition, occasionally coins do not have any letter designation because they are defective items and cannot be valued at face value. 
SPMD and MMD coins: important differences
- SPMD coins are produced by the St. Petersburg plant, MMD by the Moscow plant.
- Old coins issued in St. Petersburg have different designations, despite the fact that Moscow products are presented in only two designations.
- The Moscow Mint carries out only individual orders. At the same time, the St. Petersburg Mint operates only on the basis of government orders.
It is important to note that both institutions are not limited to just issuing coins, so the range of products is wide and varied.
Valuable coins MMD and SPMD
All numismatists know which items turn out to be the most valuable. In most cases, the following options are expected to be highly popular:
- SPMD 5 rubles (2003). The average cost is 6,000 rubles. The circulation is characterized by minimal volumes. The coin has a regular design. Expect no wide edges, offset lettering or unique patterns. The only difference is the manufacturer's abbreviation.
- MMD 1 ruble (1997). This version of the coin has a wide edge. In this case, the edge can be flat or protruding (steps on the reverse, as well as on the obverse). Flat products are less common. The cost is 5000 - 8000 rubles.
- 2 rubles (2003) SPMD. The limited edition led to a cost of 8,000 rubles.
- 1 ruble (2003) SPMD. The average price is 10 thousand rubles. Minimum circulation expected. As a result, the cost of coins significantly exceeds their face value.
- 1 ruble (2001) MMD. The coin is valued at 30 thousand rubles. In Russia, there are several design options in use. Despite the official release of everyday life, the appeal started. The number of pieces produced is unknown, but it indicates the rarity of the coin. The maximum cost for a product in perfect condition reaches 30,000 rubles.
- 2 rubles (2001) MMD. Official minting has not started. 2-ruble coins managed to get into circulation, but without an official indication of the issued quantity. The right to become the owner of valuable products will cost a couple of tens of thousands of rubles.
- 50 kopecks (2001) MMD. The price starts from one hundred thousand rubles (the worst condition of the product), but if you want a better copy, it is recommended to count on an additional 20 thousand rubles to the initial cost. There is no reliable information, at least about single sales of released products.
- 5 rubles (1999) SPMD. The price exceeds 250,000 rubles, which indicates the most expensive domestic products. Currently only one copy exists. The unique design is almost impossible to repeat, and it is this design that gives the coins their special value.
Every numismatist is able to choose exactly the offer that actually suits his needs and financial capabilities.
Many beginners in numismatics are somewhat skeptical about mint definition who issued this coin. And let’s say this is wrong for the future collector of rare coins. After all, knowing the mint sometimes helps determine the market value of a rarity that has fallen into your hands. The same denomination, issued by different mints, can vary in price several times.
So how to determine the mint on Russian coins. First you need to know that in modern Russia there are two mints: Moscow and St. Petersburg. And on modern coins their names are minted in the form of monograms: MMD and SPMD. On penny coins, the symbol appears on the reverse in the form of the letters M and S-P. Sometimes some coins do not have the court designation. And as a result of such a marriage, the value of the coin increases significantly. Also, a novice collector should not be alarmed by the fact that the Moscow Mint stamp on the coins looks somewhat larger than the St. Petersburg mint stamp. It is so indeed.
To identify the mint, a numismatist may need a magnifying glass. But if circumstances permit, you can use a camera or scanner. But the last two methods are more suitable for old or worn coins. So a magnifying glass is the main tool of a numismatist.
But even with a magnifying glass it is not always easy to find mint emblems on a coin. Therefore, we immediately suggest that on 10 ruble coins mint mark can be found on the obverse of the coin under its denomination. This is clearly illustrated in the photo below.
And penny coins will delight the collector with the letters M or S-P under the front hooves of the horse.
On coins of the early nineties, mints are indicated on the obverse of the coin in the form of the letters M (Moscow) or L (Leningrad).
Also, the mint can be identified by the edge (edge) of the coin - on MMD coins, the inscriptions have a more rounded shape than on SPMD coins.
For regular coins that are in circulation, the mint emblems are located on the reverse of the coin under the eagle's paw on the right side. The mint monograms are standard, so you can easily distinguish them.
Here. Now you know how to identify the mint on a coin and you will be able to arrange all your coins not only in order, but also differentiate between mints, like a real professional numismatist.
