A coin minted under the last Russian czar and the last of a mint master combination has found its way on to Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Modern World Coins list. Sitting just below the middle of the pack, authors Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker help us understand the founding of its nation and the story behind its creator, leading to its rarity.
#64 – Grand Duchy of Finland 1912-L Gold 20 Markkaa
After the Russian Empire and France signed a peace treaty in 1807, the two countries became allies against the French’s strongest enemies, Great Britain and Sweden. Soon after, Russia invaded Finland, a chess move against Sweden that would not go as smoothly as they hoped. To quell resistance, Russia offered the Finnish people religious freedom and self-governance in exchange for not only loyalty to the Russian Empire but ultimately help against Sweden. Thus, in 1809, the Autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland was founded.
Cut to a little over 70 years later when Czar Alexander III ascended the Russian throne in 1881. At this point, the empire amped up their attempts at further integrating the duchy. With the eventual ascension of Czar Nicholas II in 1894 and their brutal control over the people, the Finnish independence movement sparked, and they were finally free in 1917 despite the Russian Revolution’s continuance.
However, during the reign of Czar Nicholas II, engineer and mint master Johan Konrad Lihr served from 1885-1912. Other than his work with the Finland Mint, he was most famous for leading the team during the discovery of gold in the northernmost region of the country in 1868, which would lead to the Lapland Gold Rush. As 1912 was the last year Lihr served as mint master, the 1912-L Gold 20 Markkaa is a rare date.