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Four original enameled cups made for the coronation of Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra Feodorovna on May 18, 1896, measuring 4˝ tall and 3.75˝ in diameter, each featuring an elaborate design with the initials of the royal couple in Cyrillic below an Imperial crown. The opposite sides bear an image of the Imperial Russian Eagles surmounted by the crown. In overall very good to fine condition, with various chips and scuffs to the rims and surfaces.
On the morning of the coronation, hundreds of thousands of revelers gathered at Khodynka Field in Moscow to observe the ceremonies and receive these commemorative cups, a great novelty for the period. A false rumor swept through the crowd that the cups contained gold coins, causing a riot to ensue as people tried to obtain cups before the limited supply ran out. Over a thousand people were trampled to death in the chaos—an omen of things to come during Nicholas's reign—and these souvenirs thus became known as the 'Khodynka Cup of Sorrows.' A desirable grouping of relics that breathe history with their association to the last Romanov leader.
From the personal collection of a lifelong collector, teacher, and traveler with a passion for world history. His collecting years ranged from the 1970s to the present day, meaning that several of the premier pieces have not been on the market in decades.
