Russia / Georgia (Tiflis mint) 2 Abazi / 40 kopecks 1828 АТ - Nicholas I (1825-1855)

6.20g. XF-/XF-. Attractive exemplar with nice relief details. 

Mintage is 125 506 pcs. 

Bitkin 957. 

The creation of the Tiflis Mint was closely connected to Georgia’s political integration into the Russian Empire. After King Erekle II acknowledged Russian suzerainty in 1783, Georgia was formally incorporated into the Empire in 1801, leading to the deployment of Russian troops whose maintenance required a reliable monetary system. At the time, Georgia’s circulation was highly fragmented: alongside local issues, a small quantity of Turkish, Persian, and Shirvan coins circulated, and exchange rates proved unfavorable for imperial authorities. 

To stabilize local currency and support military needs, a mint was established in Tiflis (modern Tbilisi) in 1802, becoming fully operational in 1803. Approximately 5,000 rubles were spent to adapt the premises-formerly royal baths-and to acquire equipment and supplies. To avoid alarming the local population with an abrupt introduction of Russian coinage, the decision was made to strike national-style Georgian coins: double abazi, abazi, and half-abazi in silver of 88 fineness (equivalent to 40, 20, and 10 kopecks), and copper coins corresponding to grosh, kopeck, and denga. All inscriptions were rendered in Georgian, while the initials of mintmasters appeared in Russian on silver issues. Both copper and silver types shared a unified design: the obverse carried the Tiflis coat of arms flanked by palm and olive branches, and the reverse displayed the denomination, date, and coin name in Georgian. 

Despite its usefulness, the mint proved financially inefficient, and the question of its closure was repeatedly raised. Ultimately, the Tiflis Mint ceased operations in 1834. During its roughly thirty years of activity, it produced over one million rubles’ worth of Georgian silver coinage, forming a distinct and historically significant provincial series within the monetary system of the Russian Empire.