Russia 1918 Armavir 3 Roubles

The region of Armenia was in flux in 1918. Though located more than 1,000 miles south of Moscow at the southern fringe of the Russian Empire, Armenia was on the front lines of World War I, with the hostile Ottoman Empire just to its west. Russia’s October Revolution of 1917 led to a civil war that ultimately gave Armenia short-lived independence. Amid this chaos, the Russian State Bank in the city of Armavir (located just a few miles from present-day Turkey and Iran) issued copper coins in 1918. 

Struck in 1-, 3-, and 5-rouble denominations, the coins bear Cyrillic legends and the two-headed eagle from Russia’s coat of arms, but they are missing the familiar crown and other symbols of power. Today, mint-state examples of the Armavir 3 roubles can sell for thousands of dollars. Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) recently received a purported example of this piece.

The coin was struck using counterfeit dies that were made by hand, which is why the lettering on the obverse doesn’t look sharp and instead shows glaring inconsistencies—just look at the two “A”s near 6 o’clock. On the reverse, note the odd spacing between the characters within the word РУБЛЯ (“RUBLE”) above the date. And did you notice the “9” in the date itself is a completely different style than the one on the genuine coin?

These red flags also carry over to the design elements. The eagle’s tail feathers are missing much of their detail, and both tongues are completely absent. The fake also has very porous fields.

While this crude counterfeit was likely struck for circulation rather than to fool collectors, it still offers insight into what to look for when authenticating a coin. If you are ever unsure whether a coin is genuine, remember that NGC backs its determinations of authenticity and grade with the NGC Guarantee.

A version of this article appears in the December 2025 issue of The Numismatist (money.org).