Types, description and value of the coin 20 kopecks 1990

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:45

Several years ago, two visually different varieties of the 20 kopeck coin of 1990 became the subject of discussion. alloy, only with a high content of copper.

Coins of various denominations, minted "from another metal", were issued very often in the period from 1989 to 1991. Moreover, each new batch was significantly different from the previous one for the same reason - an unequal amount of copper. In this regard, some coins have a characteristic yellowish sheen, while others are cast "white".

20 kopecks 1990: especially valuable "crossovers"

"Crossroads" (this definition comes from the word "confuse") numismatists call the metal money that was put into circulation, regardless of the presence of a manufacturing defect. Mistakes made by mintersdid not affect the price characteristic of the coin in any way, and for consumers inexperienced in numismatics, the differences were purely visual. The most common causes of "crossovers" are listed below.

• The obverse of the coin was stamped for another coin. For example, it is known that some coins of 20 kopecks of 1990 were minted with a stamp for 3 kopecks. This batch of "crossovers" can be recognized by the absence of some spikelet awns and the arcuate imprint of the Gulf of Guinea depicted on the obverse.
• The coin was made using "foreign" blanks. The twenty-penny coin of 1990, printed on metal blanks intended for minting three kopecks, stands out against the background of its “relatives” due to its noble copper luster.
• The image on the reverse of the coin in relation to the obverse is applied “upside down” (the so-called “flip”).

The second type of "crossovers" (confusion with metal) is currently considered the most rare and expensive copy and is estimated at twenty thousand rubles. The “flip-coin” was once valued at two thousand rubles.

The price of hype

At the end of 2015, on the pages of one of the numismatic forums, a real PR campaign of cleaning agents for Soviet coins was launched.

The following methods were suggested as options:

• processing coins with organic solvents - acetone or gasoline for filling lighters;
• immersion of metal money in vinegar (withstandfor half an hour, then wipe dry).

In the end, the debaters came to a unanimous opinion. A “crossover” for metal, even if it has lain in the “company” of standard metal coins for less than twenty-five years, should visually stand out against their background.

Technical varieties of the original coin

It is known that coins of 20 kopecks of 1990 were minted by two mint houses at once. Using different types of stamps. Therefore, two coins of the same color and denomination may differ from each other (of course, if different stamps were used for their manufacture).

For minting coins of one variety, a stamp with thin and narrow letters was used. The second type is distinguished by the width and massiveness of the font.

There is also a third variety of twenty-kopeck coins put into circulation in 1990. The main difference between this batch of metallic money and the previous two is that there are letters characteristic of both types - both narrow and wide.

Description of the layout of a standard copper-nickel coin

The coin of 20 kopecks of 1990 was minted by two mints at once - Leningrad and Minsk. The diameter of a standard copy is 22.8 mm and its thickness is 1.5 mm. The edge is dotted with vertical notches along the entire circumference. A standard coin weighs almost 3.5 grams.

The name of the country is located at the bottom of the obverse (in this case, the abbreviation "USSR"). The central part of the coin is occupied by the coat of arms of the Soviet Union - a sickle anda hammer against the backdrop of the globe, illuminated by the rays of the rising sun, framed by ears of corn entwined with ribbons. In the place where the tops of the upper spikelets converge, a five-pointed star is clearly visible.

A significant part of the reverse is occupied by the number 20. Along the lower border of the coin, the numbers “1990” are written - the year the coin was put into circulation. Between the designation of the denomination and the numbers is the word "kopecks". On the left and right edges of the reverse are decorated with wheat spikelets - one on each side. The lower half of the ears are framed with oak leaves.