Russia's Central Bank will issue a 5 kg commemorative gold coin marking its 150th anniversary, the head of the Central Bank's cash circulation department said on Tuesday.
"The Central Bank marks its anniversary on June 12, after this date the coin will be sent to commercial banks," Alexander Yurov said.
The first deputy chairman of the Central Bank, Georgy Luntovsky, said a total of 50 coins would be minted, but additional coins may be issued depending on demand.
Luntovsky said that along with the 5 kg commemorative gold coins, the Central Bank is issuing two kinds of silver coins in 3- and 25-ruble denominations and gold coins worth 50 rubles.
The 50,000-ruble gold coins are made of 24-carat gold, the finest grade possible, weighing 5 kg.
"It is the first time the Central Bank has issued a coin with such a weight and denomination," Luntovsky said, adding that the heaviest commemorative coin it had previously issued was 3 kg.
The reverse side of the coin illustrates Tsar Alexander II, who founded the state bank in 1860, and the bank's celebrated head officers - Alexander Shtiglits and Eugene Lamansky.
According to Luntovsky, the coin's weight is limited by the Goznak coin minting enterprise's capabilities.
"We had already had a 3 kg coin. We decided to issue a heavier coin ahead of the anniversary - there was even an idea to issue a 150kg coin for the 150th anniversary, but we could not find the appropriate scales," Luntovsky said.
He said a 5 kg coin would not break the world record since Canada is issuing 100 kg one. But Russia's Central Bank is preparing "to adequately respond to Canada."
MOSCOW, May 18 (RIA Novosti)
