Ukraine 2000 Princess Olga 10 Hryven Sterling Silver Coin in Case (light wear)

Ukraine 2000 Princess Olga 10 Hryven Sterling Silver Coin in Case (light wear). Original COA included.

In the 10th century, Kyiv was at the centre of a burgeoning medieval empire that would come to be known as Kyivan Rus', precursor to the modern states of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. When Prince Igor I, sovereign of this growing state, was suddenly murdered by a rival tribe of Slavs in 945, Kyiv's future teetered. His son and heir, Sviatoslav, was just three years old. Luckily for Kyiv, however, he had married a Viking, and Vikings have never been known for letting these sorts of things slide.

Igor's wife was Princess Olga, the daughter of Viking settlers born in the now-Russian city of Pskov. When Igor was brutally murdered and his mangled body presented to Olga, she deftly took the reins of his empire and swore revenge on the tribe who had done it. Thus began a cycle of brutal violence worthy of any Viking saga. First, the foolish murderers tried to bully Olga into marrying one of their number. She had their ambassadors buried alive, then invited them to a feast at her husband's grave. Assuming they had nothing to fear from a widow, the murderers came. Once they were good and drunk, Olga and her retinue slaughtered them to a man. But that wasn't enough for the vengeful princess. Next, Olga turned her sights on the city where her husband had been killed. Again, she played a nasty trick, offering them peace in exchange for three pigeons and three sparrows from each house. The city accepted, relieved that the price of peace was so low, and handed over the birds. Olga had her army tie sticks of burning sulphur to the birds and set them free. The birds flew home, and suddenly every building in the city was on fire. It was a bloodbath. Olga cleaved her way through her enemies, massacring every survivor who came running out of the flames. Then the blood-soaked Viking warrior princess, butcher of hundreds of innocent people, converted to Christianity and has since become the patron saint of widows, proving it's never too late for a career change.

This one-ounce, sterling silver coin belongs to a series celebrating the historical princes and princesses of Ukraine. The obverse features a rosette pattern inspired by designs on Olga's red slate sarcophagus, housed now at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Rus' art in this period is heavily Byzantine-inspired, lending itself to opulence and abstraction. This carries onto the reverse, which features a portrait of Olga in the flat, Romanesque style. Behind her, the princess and her entourage are welcomed by Emperor Constantine VII. Her visit to Constantinople would lead to her conversion to Christianity. The coin comes with a COA in its original, branded clamshell case.

Please note, the case and capsule may show some light wear and tear.