Rare coins with rare animals

On 4 August 2026, the Bank of Russia issues the following 2-ruble silver commemorative coins of the Red Data Book series:

– ‘Caucasian Wildcat’;

– ‘Spectacled Eider’; and

– ‘Toad-headed Agama’.

The Bank of Russia launched this coin series in 1992. It is dedicated to nationally protected flora and fauna species and, as of today, comprises 82 coins.

The 2-ruble silver coins (fine metal content 15.55 g, fineness 925/1,000) have a round shape and are 33.0 mm in diameter.

The obverse and the reverse of the coins have a relief rim around the circumference.

The obverse of the coins features a relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation and the inscriptions ‘РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ’ (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) and ‘БАНК РОССИИ’ (BANK OF RUSSIA), the denomination of the coins ‘2 РУБЛЯ’ (2 RUBLES), the year of issue ‘2026 г.’ (2026), the chemical symbol of the metal according to Mendeleev’s Periodic Table of Elements, fineness, the Saint Petersburg Mint trademark, and fine metal content.

The reverse of:

– the coin ‘Caucasian Wildcat’ (Catalogue No. 5110-0197) features a relief coloured image of a Caucasian wildcat standing on rocks against the background of the image of foliage, laser treated for matte finishing, and the inscription ‘КАВКАЗСКАЯ ЛЕСНАЯ КОШКА’ (CAUCASIAN WILDCAT) on the left around the lower circumference;

– the coin ‘Spectacled Eider’ (Catalogue No. 5110-0198) features a relief coloured image of a male spectacled eider standing on the ground against the background of the image of a water surface, laser treated for matte finishing, and the inscription ‘ОЧКОВАЯ ГАГА’ (SPECTACLED EIDER) on the left around the upper circumference; and

– the coin ‘Toad-headed Agama’ (Catalogue No. 5110-0199) features a relief coloured image of a toad-headed agama against the background of the image of sand, laser treated for matte finishing, and the inscription ‘УШАСТАЯ КРУГЛОГОЛОВКА’ (TOAD-HEADED AGAMA) on the right around the upper circumference.

The edge of the coins is corrugated.

The coins are minted in proof quality.

The mintage of the coins is 5.0 thousand pcs of each design.

The new coins are legal tender of the Russian Federation and are mandatory for acceptance for all kinds of payments without any restrictions at their face value.

The reference to the Press Service is mandatory if you intend to use this material.

03.08.2026 10.34.00