A Gift from Maria in Petersburg

My friend Maria in St. Petersburg has gifted another fine set of coins for the Coin Zoo, including a totally new country, Armenia.

Maria and I have been "pen pals" (remember that old term from the days of written letters?) for some time now, exchanging coins, information, and greetings. This gift from Maria includes a whole new country -- Armenia -- along with the fantastic Beaver-Tiger hybrid from Irkutsk Oblast in Russia. Be sure to check out the story of how that strange creature came to be on the coat of arms, and now this coin.

Many thanks to Maria, who has been a huge help building up the Russian (and surrounding countries) section of the Coin Zoo. Thanks, Maria!