Fabergé Eggs: Rosebud Egg
Mongolia. 1,000 Togrog. 2022. Silver .999. 2 oz. 38.61 mm. Special Technology: color application and smartminting (High Relief). Proof. Mintage: 888. B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description of the Coin
One side depicts the Rosebud Egg created in Peter Carl Fabergé’s workshop on a small pedestal; the background is divided into two parts: in the upper field the inscription Peter Carl Fabergé Rosebud Egg / 2022 between roses with tendrils; the lower field is filled with a wavy pattern.
The other side features the coat of arms of the Bank of Mongolia, below in Cyrillic script 1000 Togrog, in the exergue in Latin script MONGOLIA 2 oz .999 SILVER.
Background
Peter Carl Fabergé, who is still considered one of the most famous jewelers in world history, died in 1920. His Easter eggs made of gold, enamel, and gems manufactured for the Russian nobility inspire people throughout the world. CIT dedicated a series to these miniature marvels, which began in the year of the 100th anniversary of Fabergé’s death and whose third issue will be released in 2022. It features the Rosebud Egg.
The Rosebud Egg’s name was inspired by a container designed in the shape of a tea rose, which was hidden inside the egg. The artificial tea rose held a small imperial crown as well as a ruby and testifies to the Russian tsar’s tender attention to his wife. Alexandra Feodorovna came from Darmstadt in Germany and missed the lush rose gardens of her childhood in cold Russia.
The exterior of the egg also shows that it was supposed to be a special token of love. Prominently highlighted arrows represent the projectiles used by Cupid, the god of love, to strike his victims. Their tips point upwards toward the portrait of the tsar at the top of the egg. The repeated motif of a wreath symbolizes the unbreakable bond of lovers until death.
With this egg, Nicholas II continued – for the first time after his accession to the throne – a custom started by his father, Alexander III. Every Easter, he gave such an egg from the Fabergé workshop to his wife and his mother. Until the shooting of the imperial family in 1917, a total of 40 eggs was created.
Today, the Rosebud Egg can be seen again in St. Petersburg, where the Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg opened his Fabergé Museum. Those who do not wish to travel to Russia to admire the Rosebud Egg will find a substitute in this commemorative coin: the technical perfection used to create it can well bear comparison with Fabergé eggs.
Further Information
www.cit.li/coins/peter-carl-faberge-rosebud-egg
* * *
CoinWeek Podcast #155: Ultra-Modern Coins Take Over
Mobile phone users. Stream this podcast for free by downloading the podomatic app or subscribe to the CoinWeek Podcast on iTunes.
You cannot walk away from this podcast without learning something about the way minting has changed–and has always been changing throughout the course of monetary history–and we hope it will give you a clearer picture of where we are heading.
