Review by Richard.L.Rush.7@nd.edu (Richard L. Rush)
Moneti Rossii (Russian Coins) 1700-1917 Uzdenikov, V.V. Datastrom, Moscow 1992 - 678 pp. ISBN 5-7130-0026-5 (In Russian/English)
In what is becoming one of the standard references on Russian Imperial coinage, Uzdenikov has broken new ground and given the collector of Czarist issues a new treatment of the subject.
Uzdenikov has, indeed, ignored previous volumes on the milled coinage of Czarist Russia. There are no references to Brekke or Harris, this work is the result of entirely new research. As an indicator of this fresh research, the volume lists all of the major, known varieties and then proceeds to give detailed coverage to minor die varieties. (In the world of Russian numismatics, die variety can make or break a coin's rarity and market value.)
Making a clean break with past references, of course, also necessitated a new numbering system for attribution. If you will take note, in more and more ads for Russian coins there are appearing Uzd#'s.
The book begins by jumping right into the actual cataloging itself. Arranged in the European model of cataloging, rather than the American. In the U.S. most refernce works are arranged by series, then denomination, then listed by date and mint. This catalog takes a little getting used to for those unfamiliar with the European model. In keeping with this convention, the coins are arranged chronologically. Listings are by year, with the denominations listed in descending order. The pages are arranged in columns:
He begins with a chapter on gold/platinum issues, then silver, then bronze/copper. Interspersed within these listings are a detailed coverage of trial strikes, proofs, Novodels (official restrikes), and commemoratives. There are also chapters devoted to Patterns, "Special Issues", the Polish series, the Finnish series and the other associated states, Countermarks and foreign coins associated to the czar's family.
The last 170 pages are a vast repository of references, charts and tables. Included is a cross-refernce of Cyrillic inscriptions, translating them into English. The reference section is bi-lingual with each page in Cyrillic text, and the facing page containing the English translation. **Reviewer's note** As a speaker of both Russian and English, I can attest to the accuracy of the translations. There are no glaring errors in content or grammar to detract from the work if you do not speak Russian.
All in all, this is a very important work and indispensable to the collector of pre-revolutionary Russian coins.
(c) 1994, Richard L. Rush Notre Dame, Indiana