This page gives links to my collection of
coins from the Pridnestrovskaya Moldavskaya Respublica or PMR (the Trans-Dniester Moldavian Republic). This unrecognized state is situated in the south-eastern part of Europe and borders with Ukraine but is officially part of the Republic of Moldova. It has a territory of 4,163 sq km and a population of about 533,5 thousand. The capital of the PMR is Tiraspol (about 100 km from Odessa or 70 km Chisinau). The largest cities are Bendery, Rybnitsa and Dubossary.
The republic consists of five administrative regions and includes two cities of republican subordination. The official languages are Moldavian, Ukrainian and Russian, the later being most widely spoken.
The majority of population professes Russian Orthodoxy and hold Russian passports.
The monetary unit is the Ruble and Kopeks.
Also known as Transnistria or Transdniestria, this statelet proclaimed independence on September 2, 1990 by the decision of the Second Congress of People’s Deputies of all levels. Adter a short but bloody civil war of secession with Moldovan forces, supported by Moscow and cossacks, the conflict is today "frozen". The 2nd of September is celebrated as a national holiday called the Day of the Republic. Recognized only by Akhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh over the years the territory has developed most of the attributes of sovereign statehood: an elected Supreme Council (legislative power); executive power represented by the President and the Cabinet of Ministers; judicial, defensive and law-enforcement systems, its own budget and national symbols. It mainstains its own Army, police and customs forces. Legislation is largely modelled on that of the Russian Federation.
The president, Igor Smirnov, elected for a five-year has been in power form the ouset and is the head of executive branch. The president appoints the Cabinet of Ministers (Government), coordinates the activities of all government structures, and represents the republic in international relations. The president is the Commander- in-Chief of the republican armed forces.
The supreme representative and legislative body is One-Chamber Supreme Council elected for a five-year term and headed by the Supreme Council Chairman. For more see my page on the "Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic".
The PMR sees itself as an agrarian-industrial state but remains impoverished with a handful of very rich and an absolute majority of very poor, mostly pensioners as many able bodied have left abrod in serach of work. The leading branches of economy used to be engineering, metal-working, food and light industries, ferrous metallurgy and production of buildingmaterials. Today is more wine and cognac production and subsistence agriculture.
As early as 1990 Transnistria modified the Soviet ruble notes by applying a stamp bearing the nominal value and the image of marshal Suvorov (the conqueror of Transnistria for Russia in 1792) the so called "coupon roubles". In August 1994 a new local currency was established - the Transnistrian rouble. Between 1994 and 2000 was hit by inflation and ocerprinting was common (adding zeroes).
In 2000 the first coins were struck along with the introduction of a new stabilized rouble (new rouble worth 10.000 coupon roubles). Coins of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kopecks were struck featuring the coat of arms of the Transnistrian state with hammer and sickle in the honorable position (initially the self proclaimed state was communist). The coat of arms features three acronyms: RMN, PMR, PMR, in Cyrillic characters. They stand for Republica Moldoveneasca Nistreana (centered, Romanian), Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublika (Russian, side) and Pridnistrovsika Moldavsika Respublika (Ukrainian, side).
The averse of the notes maintain a portrait of marshall Suvorov. Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko is also featured on Transnistrian banknotes (50 roubles). In 2004 the banknotes of 200 roubles with Russian general Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky and 500 roubles with Russian empress Catherine II the Great appeared. A striking presence on the value of 100 Transnistrian rubles belongs to Romanian prince Dimitrie Cantemir, an important scholar of his time and prince of Moldavia. He fought along Peter the Great of Russia in the war against the Ottoman Empire in 1711, waged on the very Moldavian territory he ruled upon
To date the PMR has issued well over 100 commemorative coins since 2001 in the following categories:
Anniversary, Fauna of Transdniestria, Outstanding people, Coats of arms of cities, Orthodox temples, Signs of the zodiac, Chinese horoscope, XX Turin Winter Olympics, Dniester Fortresses, Cossacks, Sports, Russians in history, Spartakiada, Kolotokov ravine, Red book animals, Industry and XXIX Beijing Summer Olympics.
Most are in 925 Silver (usually 300 to 500, sometimes 1000 minted) and some are coloured. Few have been released with extremely low mintages in 900 Gold (3-15 minted only) to emelish the shelves of those in power. All are accompanied by certificates of authenticity and some are available in smart velvet-lined boxes. Recently none are available even in the bank when released and their prices have been climbing.
Follow two examples of its low mintage and high prized coins (one issued on the 10th Anniversary of the National bank and the other celebrating 80 years of "statehood"): |
