MOSCOW — The Bank of Russia has issued a two-ruble silver commemorative coin honouring Mikhail Speransky, one of the country’s most prominent 19th-century government reformers and legal figures.
The coin, titled Mikhail Speransky, is part of the central bank’s Russia’s Jurisprudence commemorative series and was issued on Nov 3, 2026, under Catalogue No. 5110-0201.
Speransky (1772–1839) played a significant role in Russia’s legal and government reforms. During the reign of Emperor Alexander I, he developed a framework for restructuring the country’s highest government institutions based on the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers.
His proposed structure comprised the Duma as the legislature, ministries as the executive branch and the Senate as the judiciary.
During the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, Speransky led efforts to codify Russian law, overseeing the compilation of 45 volumes of the Complete Collection of the Laws of the Russian Empire and 15 volumes of the Digest of the Laws.
In recognition of his contribution, Nicholas I presented Speransky with his own Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, Russia’s highest order of chivalry.
The commemorative coin is made of 925-fineness silver, with a fine metal content of 15.55 grammes and a diameter of 33 millimetres.
Its obverse features a relief image of Russia’s National Coat of Arms, together with inscriptions identifying the country, the Bank of Russia, its denomination and year of issue.
The reverse depicts Speransky’s portrait alongside a book and an inkwell with a feather, set against a background featuring the Pillar of the Law.
The coin also bears his name and the years 1772 and 1839, marking his birth and death.
Minted in proof quality at the Saint Petersburg Mint, the coin has a corrugated edge and a limited mintage of 3,000 pieces.
The Bank of Russia said the coin is legal tender and must be accepted for all types of payments at its face value without restrictions.
Source: Bank of Russia
