Portrait of Nicholas II. Along the rim the official short title: By the Grace of God Nicholas II Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia.

Tsar's portrait has been slightly changed 5 times during the issue time period. Designed by Anton Vasyutinsky (1858-1935). He was also an author of the USSR's golden Chervonets, Order of Lenin and Ready for Labour and Defence sign.

Displays the Lesser Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire - a two-headed eagle crowned with two imperial crowns, over which the same third crown, enlarged, with two flying ends of the ribbon of the Order of Saint Andrew. The State Eagle held a scepter and globus cruciger. On the chest of the eagle there was an escutcheon with the arms of Moscow, depicting Saint George, mounted and defeating the dragon. The Lesser Coat of Arms depicts the imperial double-headed eagle with the addition of the collar of the Order of Saint Andrew around the escutcheon of St. George, and the Arms of Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia, Finland, Kiev-Vladimir-Novgorod, Taurica, Poland and Kazan on the wings (seen clockwise).

The denomination and date are written under the eagle: 1 RUBLE 1895.

The globus cruciger (Latin, "cross-bearing orb"), also known as the orb and cross, an orb (Latin globus) topped (Latin gerere, to wear) by a cross (Latin crux), has been a Christian symbol of authority since the Middle Ages, used on coins, in iconography, and with the sceptre as royal regalia.

Order of St. Andrew was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia.

Edge types:
• ЧИСТАГО СЕРЕБРА 4 ЗОЛОТНИКА 21 ДОЛЯ (mint master mark) — Saint Petersburg Mint
• ЧИСТАГО СЕРЕБРА 4 ЗОЛОТНИКА 21 ДОЛЯ ★ (1896, 1897, 1898) — Paris Mint, France
• ЧИСТАГО СЕРЕБРА 4 ЗОЛОТНИКА 21 ДОЛЯ ★★ (1897, 1898, 1899) — Brussels Mint, Belgium
• Plain — Saint Petersburg Mint

Mint master marks:
АГ — Appolon Grasgof
ЭБ — Elikum Babayants
ФЗ — Felix Zaleman
АР — Aleksandr Redko
ВС — Viktor Smirnov

The fine weight is written around the edge: Pure silver 4 zolotniks 21 parts.

A zolotnik was a small Russian unit of weight, equal to 0.1505 avoirdupois ounces, or 4.2658 grams. Used from the 10th to 20th centuries, its name is derived from the Russian word zoloto, meaning gold. As a unit, the zolotnik was the standard for silver manufacture, much as the troy ounce is currently used for gold and other precious metals. This unit was originally based on a coin of the same name. The zolotnik circulated in the Kievan Rus until the 11th century; it was equal in weight to the Byzantine Empire's solidus.