The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-05-16
The AssembIage of coins and COINS.

The Assemblage of Coins and Gems.
In another gallery is the largest and
most valuable collection of coins.in the
world, comprising over two hundred
thousand specimens, and containing
every piece known to numismatists.
Still further on is the largest collection
of gems in existence-commenc by
Peter the Great, who had passion
for gems, although he never wore them,
and increased fr time to time by pur-
chases made by his successors. The
most conspicuous portion of the collec-
ton was purchased from the heirs of
the Duke of Orleans, Philippe Egalite,
the most renowned collection of Jewels
in history.
Contiguous to the Hermitage is the
barracks of the Regiment of the Trans
figuration, a sort of a pr;etorian guard,
of which the Gar is always the colonel,
composed of picked men of large
stature, who have the. privilege of en-
tering the Winter Palace of the Her
mitage at any time, and can be sum-
moned by the Emperor by a signal
from his private rooms whenever their
presence is necessary.
A little to the north of the Hermit
age, in the center of the great parade
q ound have described, stands one of
the lions" of Petersburg, the largest
monolith in the world. 1t is column
erected in 1882, by the late Gar, in
honor of his father, Alexander l., a
single shaft of red granite from Fin
land, which, exclusive of pedestal and
capital, rises eighty-four feet. 1t orig
inally reached to the height of 102 feet,
but had to be cut down as the base and
diameter were too small to sustain it,
and it was in danger of falling. The
pedestal is a single block of granite,
weighing 400 tons, and highly polished.
The capital is made from cannon cap
tured in Alexander's wars with the
Turks, and on the summit is an angel
of bronze, fourteen feet high, holding
aloft cross that is seven feet in length,
but looks like toy at its height of l55
feet from the ground The column
was quarried in Finland, and brought
to Petersburg on sledges one winter,
being drawn by several hundred
state and dressed and polished as it
stands. The inscription on the pedestal
is simply this:
80 ALEXANDER L
Grateful Russia"
There are many other monuments in
Petersburg, some of which are very fine.
and another quite as remarkable as the
Alexander column. Peter the Great
once stood upon rock on the shore of
the Gulf of Finland and witnessed q
victory by his infant fleet over a super
Tor force Of Swedes. This huge block
of granite, which weighs 1900 tons,
was afterward brought to Petersburg
entire, 500 men and over q thousand
horses being employed for two months
or more to accomplish the removal. 1t
was placed in park in front of the Holy
Synod, and upon it was placed an eques-
trian statue of Peter, modelled and cast
by a Frenchman, NJ Falconet. The
Emperor Is represented as checking
his fiery horse on the edge of the
rock, and pointing over the bay to the
battle, while under the feet of the
charger is an enormous serpent, sup
posed to be mathematical of the diff
culties and dangers he had surmounted.
The statue is balanced on the hind legs
of the horse and the coils of the serpent,
and is considered one of the most re-
markable pieces of bronze art in exist
ence.
Another fine monument, and rather
q curious one, Is that of Catherine the