Bicentenary of the Rostral Columns, Saint Petersburg

Obverse

in the centre - the emblem of the Bank of Russia [the two-headed eagle with wings down, under it - the semicircular inscription "БАНК РОССИИ" (BANK OF RUSSIA)] framed by a circle of dots and inscriptions along the rim - on top: "ДВАДЦАТЬ ПЯТЬ РУБЛЕЙ" (TWENTY FIVE RUBLES), below: to the left - indications of the precious metal and its fineness, in the centre - the year of issue "2010 г." (2010), to the right - the fine metal content and the mint trade mark.

Reverse

to the right and to the left against the background of the Saint Petersburg Commodity Exchange - two Rostral Columns, under them - inscription: "САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ" (SAINT PETERSBURG), above over the building of the Commodity Exchange - dates in two lines: "1810" and "2010", to the left in the background - outlines of urban buildings; above along the rim - semicircular inscription: "РОСТРАЛЬНЫЕ КОЛОННЫ" (ROSTRAL COLUMNS)

Authors

The artists: A.V. Baklanov National Artist of Russia, L.A. Evdokimova, E.V. Kramskaya.
The sculptor: A.N. Bessonov.
Mint: Saint Petersburg Mint (СПМД).
The edge: 252 corrugations

Rostral Columns - the monument to the glory of the Russian Navy - were erected in 1810 under the project of the architect J.F Thomas de Thomon in Saint Petersburg on the split of the Vasilyevsky Island in the front of the Commodity Exchange. Originally they were used as light-houses for vessels floating through the Small and Big Neva. Allegoric figures at the foot of the monument mean great Russian rivers Volga, Dnieper, Neva and Volkhov. In 1957, the ritual of lighting the torches on the Rostral Columns on day of official festive occasions has been renewed.