Russia Rouble - III

100 rouble, 1992
Weight: 6gm
Metal: copper nickel centre with aluminium bronze ring
Diameter: 25.3mm

20 rouble, 1992

Weight: 5.6gm
Metal: copper nickel
Diameter: 24.1mm

Russian coat of arms

The current coat of arms of Russia traces its roots back to medieval Russia, with the coat having undergone changes many times since its inception in the times of Ivan the great in the 15th century, and the origins of the eagle can be traced back to Peter the great in the 17th century, although the original colour of the eagle was black as opposed to the golden colour shown in this picture.

The double headed eagle was adopted by Ivan as his emblem after his marriage to the Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologue in 1472. The double headed eagle was the national symbol of Byzantine and Sophia's uncle Constantine happened to be the last Byzantine emperor.

The modern arms were instated by a presidential decree in 1993, and later on by a federal law signed by Vladimir Putin in 2000.