5 Roubles - Elizabeth Pattern; Novodel

Reverse

Crowned double-headed eagle with orb and scepter, and cross of St. Andrew, date above.

Script: Cyrillic

Lettering:
ЕЛИСАВЕТИНЪ ЗОЛОТОI . ЦЕНА . ПЯТЬ РƔБЛЕ.
17 55

Translation:
Elizabethan's gold, value of five rubles·
1755

Comment

Sev-186 (extremely rare), Petrov-200 Roubles.

An astonishing example of this incredibly rare pattern issue. Known only as a Novodel, this type is missing from most major collections, and from most museums. The strike is superb, with evidence of being produced from rusted dies, as is often seen with Novodel issues. One of a series of 4 Novodel Proof Pattern 1755 gold 5 Roubles, with eagle reverse. Two pieces were struck with smaller planchet (ca. 23 mm), and two with larger planchets (ca. 25 mm). This is one of the two larger planchet patterns. One variety has a large cross on the eagle, and this type has a small cross. Both are excessively rare, with a small cross variety, and a large cross variety for each size planchet, and this piece, struck with a Half Imperial die, is the only example of the small cross type we can reference and the only piece certified by both NGC, and PCGS, combined.
From the D. Moore Collection

Interesting fact