Silver coins were a vital part of the Russian economy in the last days of the Czarist empire in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. But when Nicholas II was overthrown in 1918, all Russian Czarist coins were withdrawn from circulation and destroyed… because they showed the portrait of the Czar. Just a tiny fraction were saved – and many of those were melted in later years for their precious silver. As a result, silver coins from Czarist Russia can be hard to find. They’re fascinating reminders of the Czarist era and make a wonderful addition to any collection!