Many in England will be familiar with the idea of a lucky sixpence. A few may remember searching for them in Christmas puddings though the original tradition was that silver threepences were the additional ingredient of many a Yuletide dessert. Brides also used to put sixpences in their shoes for luck on their wedding days. I suppose it should not come as too much of a surprise to find that other countries also have such traditions relating to coinage.
I came across the lucky rouble whilst walking along Kreschatik in Kiev during the Independence Day celebrations on the 24th August. One enterprising individual was striking these novelty coins on the spot for sale to the many passers by. Having more than a passing interest in coinage, I decided to acquire one.
Upon enquiry, I soon discovered that the purchaser was not too lucky in terms of the price of the rouble. Each coin retailed at 35 Ukrainian Hryvnas which equates approximately to 3 British pounds or 4.5 US dollars. One lucky rouble, thus, cost about 150 real Russian roubles!
The coin itself, as I have said, was struck at the stall in front of the customer so if you like your novelty coins fresh, Kiev on Independence Day is the place to go. The inscription in Russian (1 счастливый рубль) translates as one lucky rouble. The reverse of the coin depicts a horseshoe to signify good luck. Unsurprisingly for a hand struck item, the edge is not milled and bears no inscription. The coin is approximately 20mm in diameter.
Has the lucky rouble brought me any luck? Well, since its acquisition, nothing terrible has happened so its power to date cannot be denied.
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