On 8 September 2026, the Bank of Russia issues a 2-ruble silver commemorative coin ‘Sculptor Stepan Erzya, Timed to the 150th Anniversary of His Birth’ of the Outstanding Personalities of Russia series (Catalogue No. 5110-0200).
Stepan Erzya (Nefedov) was a prominent Russian sculptor. He was born in 1876 to a peasant family that descended from the Erzya ethnic group of the Mordvin peoples. The master used this pseudonym to highlight the importance of his native roots.
The sculptor’s works were successfully exhibited in Italy and France where he was called the ‘Russian Rodin’. A special period of his creative life, over 20 years, the sculptor spent in Argentina where he worked with unique South American hardwoods. Stepan Erzya returned to his homeland in 1951 with a large collection of his artworks, part of which he donated to Russia.
The 2-ruble silver coin (fine metal content 15.55 g, fineness 925/1,000) has a round shape and is 33.0 mm in diameter.
The obverse and the reverse of the coin have a relief rim around the circumference.
The obverse of the coin 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 coin ‘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 Moscow Mint trademark, and fine metal content.
The reverse of the coin features a relief field in the form of a tree cross-section with an outline self-portrait of the sculptor on it, combined with his facsimile signature. On the left, there are the years of his birth and death in two lines ‘1876’ and ‘1959’ in relief.
The edge of the coin is corrugated.
The coin is minted in proof quality.
The mintage is 3,000 coins.
The new coin is legal tender of the Russian Federation and is mandatory for acceptance for all kinds of payments without any restrictions at its face value.
The reference to the Press Service is mandatory if you intend to use this material.
07.09.2026 15.14.00