1920s-1930s Russia Stalin Legacy Coin & Currency 2-Piece Set

Authentic Soviet Currency – Including Stalin’s Infamous “Death Sentence” Coin!

Following the downfall of the last Russian Czar and his “White Army,” of loyalists, the “Red” of communism swept the nation, with Joseph Stalin leading the charge. Arguably the most prolific mass murderer in history, Stalin ruled with an iron fist. In 1930, for example, with the USSR facing an economic crisis, Stalin decreed that all silver currency would be replaced by coins made of base metals. When people instead started hoarding their silver, Stalin ordered the execution of those working in the Finance Ministry and Central Bank. This set includes one of these “Death Sentence” 20-Kopek coins, as well as a 20-Kopek note used by the defeated “White Army.” Both come beautifully displayed in an informative presentation folder. Dates vary.

The man who would come to be known as Joseph Stain was born in 1878 as Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili. Though his birth name remained his legal and registered name all his life, sometime during the early 1900s as he rose within the ranks of Bolshevik revolutionaries he adopted the nom de guerre “Stalin,” which literally means "man of steel.” In terms of physical stature, however, Stalin was anything but a man of steel. Standing a mere 5 feet 4 inches tall, Stalin‘s face was pockmarked due to contracting smallpox during childhood. He was born with a webbed left foot, and his left arm was permanently injured in a childhood accident that left it shorter than his right and made him unfit for military duty. Other children treated him very cruelly because of his stature and his deformities. Born in Georgia, which had been annexed by the Russian Empire, Stalin didn’t learn Russian until he was 8 or 9, and thereafter always spoke with a Georgian accent.

Your Russia Stalin Legacy Coin & Currency set is a remarkable window into the early days of Stalin’s dictatorial reign over the Soviet Union. The 20-Kopek note features ornate vignettes with the famous Double-headed Russian Eagle while the 20-Kopek coin uses the infamous hammer and sickle that would be the iconic symbol for Russian communism throughout most of the 20^th Century. This two-piece set is a fascinating piece of history from one of the most turbulent eras ever witnessed. Add this set to your collection today!