The 300th Anniversary of the Russian Fleet

Obverse

the two-headed eagle designed by artist I. Bilibin. The inscriptions along the rim: at the top — «25 РУБЛЕЙ 1996 г.» (25 RUBLES 1996), at the bottom — «БАНК РОССИИ» (BANK OF RUSSIA). The letters below indicate the metal sign, the fineness, the fine metal content and the mint trademark.

Reverse

sailing-ships during the storming of the Corfu fortress, to the left above them - a portrait of Admiral Fedor Ushakov and under it - the semicircular inscription "Ф.Ф.УШАКОВ" (F. F. USHAKOV). The inscriptions along the rim: at the top on a ribbon - "300-ЛЕТИЕ РОССИЙСКОГО ФЛОТА" (THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RUSSIAN FLEET), at the bottom - "ШТУРМ КРЕПОСТИ КОРФУ 1799 г." (THE STORMING OF THE CORFU FORTRESS. 1799).

Authors

The artist: A.V.Baklanov
The sculptor: A.A.Dolgopolova
St.Petersburg Mint (ЛМД)
The edge: 252 corrugation

During the Mediterranean campaign the Russian-Turkish squadron commanded by Admiral Fedor Ushakov on November 9, 1798, began the siege of the Corfu fortress (the Italian name of the 14th-18th-century Venetian fortress on Kerkira Island, seized by France in 1797). On February 19, 1799, the fortress surrendered. The tactics used by Admiral Ushakov's when taking the fortress by storm is a textbook example of successful co-ordination of actions between a landing force and ship-borne artillery.