Catherine the Great was a real fan of the Bolognese. This little lap dog was her favorite.  Catherine the Great used to toss coins out the windows of her chariot to the peasants who scooped them up.  She ruled Russia from 1762 to 1796.  She believed that coins should contain their value in the metal.  5 Kopeks was a fairly valuable coin and so these coins are quite large and beautiful. These coins were the largest coins ever used in daily business.  They are made of copper and are about 1 3/4" in diameter and about an 1/8" thick, so they really are quite impressive alone or in pendant form.  One side has the date and Catherine the Great's monogram.  The "I" stands for "Imperatrista" which is Russian for Empress and the "E" stands for "Ekatarina" which is the Russian form of Catherine.  The reverse side has the two headed Russian eagle.  When the communists took control of Russia in the 1900's, these coins were aggressively melted down.  Some were hoarded in barrels and this accounts for their fine condition.

Every time we look at the coin, we envision the colorful Catherine who was famous for many exploits, territorial expansion, and enlightenment.  We can imagine her regally tossing her coins from her grand carriage to her subjects with her lovely Bolognese in her lap!