Nicolas Ier 1825-1855 OR Dukat 1818 Saint-Pétersbourg. Imitation der niederländischen Dukaten. Bitkine 19* ; =3,52 g= (kl. Kr.) III ex Auction House provenance Dutch ducats were secretly minted in Russia at the Saint Petersburg Mint from 1768 to 1867 under the cover name “known coin.” They were used by the Russian treasury to finance Russian military expeditions abroad and to support individuals staying overseas, for various types of foreign payments, as well as for the payment of salaries to Russian troops stationed in border garrisons.