Coins in honor of unification of Crimea with Russia to be decorated with portrait of Putin

In honor of the unification of Crimea with Russia, a series of coins "Crimea - 2014" will be released. The total collection will include 25 silver and gilt coins weighing 1 kilogram and palm-sized. The first of them will be issued on April 23.

The reverse side of a coin will feature an outline of the Crimean peninsula with the names of 28 local towns, and the obverse side will be decorated with a bas-relief of the Russian President Vladimir Putin. The idea of creating such a coin belongs to tge General Director of the organization, Vladimir Vasyuhin, RIA Novosti reports.

Coins with the portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin will be struck in the gunsmith workshop "Art Grani" in Zlatoust.

After the 1917 revolution the only leader whose image was minted on coins  was Vladimir Lenin. In 1967, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, 50 kopeks and 1 ruble coins with the image of Lenin standing with an outstretched right hand were issued. Coins with the image of Lenin of various denominations were issued in 1970, 1977, 1982, 1985 and 1987.