This Russian coin will commemorate ‘Crimea’s reunification’

Well, that didn’t take long. 

A Russian factory is already minting a series of commemorative coins to mark “Crimea’s reunification with Russia” in March.

Or, depending on your point of view of the situation in Ukraine, Russia’s seizure of Crimea.

The sterling silver coins will be roughly the size of a palm and weigh a hefty 2.2 pounds, the English-language Moscow Times reported. 

Each coin will bear an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin on one side and a map of Crimea on the other.

Here's what they look like. 

“Crimea's reunification with Russia was a historic event which we decided to embody in a souvenir collection of coins made of 925 grade silver,” Vladimir Vasyukhinsaid, the director of the factory in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth largest city, told Russian news service ITAR-TASS.

The BBC said the collection of 500 coins would be called “The Gatherer of Russian Lands,” which could be a bad omen for other former Soviet states.

The name is traditionally associated with Ivan III, otherwise known as Ivan the Great, who significantly expanded Russia’s territorial boundaries during his rule from 1462 to 1505. 

It’s not clear when the commemorative coins will be released or what the asking price will be.

Given their weight, it’s a good thing they won’t be in circulation.