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 Numismatist, Author: Walter A. JELLUM, Jr. 1936-2007 |
Trust Arctic Coal (Arktikugol ) Introduction by Walter A. Jellum
Trust Arktikugol[TPCET
Following World War II the Russians were not eager to reconstruct. However, in the
autumn of 1946 they did start to clear debris and rebuild with a population at all facilities of about 1,000.
Trust Arktikugol is the only operation to use specially minted coins for use on Spitsbergen. In 1946 the Russians circulated coins struck at the mint in Leningrad that, according to the local Russian consul, had been used in their mining settlements between 1946 and 1957. Four coins, 10, 15, 20, and 50 kopek, make up a complete set, with measurements of 22, 25, 20 and 22 mm. respectively. The 10 & 15 kopeks are of aluminium-bronze, 20 and 50 kopeks are made of nickel. They all had milling.
Obverse: APΚTИКУГОЛЬ = Arctic Coal (on top) (value in center) КОЛEEК = Kopek (on bottom)
Reverse: OCTPOB = Island (on left) 1946 (in center) ШЛИЦБEPГEHE = Spitsbergen (on right)
A small funicular railway was built that ran north from Barentsburg out to the mines at Heerodden. Around the late 1980's, Barentsburg had about 1,400 inhabitants. It is about 28 mi. (45 km.) southwest of Longyear-byen. In Grønfjord Trust Arktikugol has entered into a leasing agreement with S.N.S.K. with respect to a 17 sq. km. coal field for a period of 25 years in order to be able to continue their Barentsburg operations. The Russian coal is shipped to ports in northern Russia.
Postal service is executed and postmarked Murmansk on Svalbard, then sent through Murmansk. The recent break up of the Soviet Union has now led to their also using the Norwegian postal services with post offices designated N-9178 for Barentsburg and N-9179 for Pyramiden. Recently, Norway has closed down these post offices. The post office in Longyearbyen remains in operation.
Pyramiden - [ПИРАМИДА]
Pyramiden is the name of a recognized claim, coal bearing district, west of Billefjord, near Mt. Pyramid. It was originally claimed in 1910 by a Swedish expedition under Bertil Høgbom.
Svenska Stenkolsaktiebolaget Spetsbergen, operating mines at Svea in 1921 were also in control of these claims, which were later sold to a Russian company in 1926.
Russky-Grumant, a Russian company, purchased these claims in 1926, but then sold them in 1931 to the Soviet state.
Trust Arktikugolacquired Pyramiden in 1931 and is the name of the mining town on the coal claim. Russians began construction for mining in 1939, but were interrupted by war. They resumed in 1946/47, with coal production following shortly thereafter. After World War II the Russians planned to have Pyramiden their main establishment on Spitsbergen. They moved their administration and consulate to Pyramiden about 1946, but soon moved back to Barentsburg. In the 1960's coal production from Pyramiden was approximately 250,000 tons annually. Around the late 1980's Pyramiden had about 1,100 inhabitants. It is 31 mi. (50 km.) north of Longyearbyen.
Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate Ltd. of Edinburgh. By the late 1920's or early 30's the only coal production on Svalbard was by the Norwegians and Russians. The only other foreign interest was 114.53 sq.mi. belonging to the Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate, across from Pyramiden on the upper eastern side of Billefjord. They also had many other claims of recognized gypsum and anhydrite bearing grounds, originally claimed in 1906 by W. S. Bruce. The Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate Ltd. mined coal and quarried gypsum. They closed down in 1927 and sold to the Norwegian state in 1952.
We gratefully acknowledge numismatist Walt Jellum 
who provided images and background information for this section.
 | Complete Catalog of Paper Banknotes and Bills of Russia, USSR, CIS Countries (1769 -1994) ISBN 5-7707-7912-8 - by PETER RYABCHENKO |
 | Coal Mines on Spitsbergen by N.A. Gnilorybov Nedra 1988 |
