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The first Russian money. Coins of ancient Rus'

These were the first coins minted in Kievan Rus at the end of the 10th century, then at the beginning of the 11th century, they were issued in small quantities and not for long, therefore they did not have much influence on monetary circulation, but they represent a unique group of cultural monuments Ancient Rus'.

Under Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich in 988, Christianity became the official religion in Rus'. In the cities, the oldest of which were Kyiv, Novgorod, Ladoga, Smolensk, Murom, crafts actively developed, as well as trade with the southern and western Slavs and the peoples of other countries. This led to the beginning of the production of the first own coins from gold and silver.

The first Russian gold and silver coins were called zlatniks and srebreniks, respectively. The diameter of zlatniks reached 24 mm, and in weight they were equal to the Byzantine solidus - approximately 4.2 g. Subsequently, the zlatnik became a Russian unit of weight called zolotnik (4.266 g). Coin mugs for minting were cast in folding molds, which explains the presence of noticeable casting defects on the zlatniks and a significant discrepancy in weight. Silver from Arab coins was used to make silver coins.

Zlatniks and pieces of silver were mintedcommon stamps. Obverse side: Half-length depiction of the prince, indeed, probably sitting (judging by the bent small legs under the figure); in a cloak fastened on the chest, in a hat with pendants and a cross; in the right hand there is a cross on a long shaft, the left hand is pressed to the chest. At the left shoulder there is a princely sign - a trident. Around there is a circular inscription from left to right (occasionally from right to left): VLADIMIR ON THE TABLE (or VLADIMIR AND HIS SILVER). There are linear and dotted rims around.

Reverse side: A chest-to-chest image of Jesus Christ, with a baptized halo; the right hand in a blessing gesture, the left hand holding the Gospel. Around there is a circular inscription from left to right (occasionally from right to left): IUSUS CHRISTOS (or IС ХС under the titles). There are linear and dotted rims around.

According to experts, the issue of its own coin in Kievan Rus was caused, on the one hand, by the fact that in the economy of the ancient Russian state of the second half of the 10th century. the lack became noticeable silver coins due to a reduction in the supply of Arab dirhams, on the other hand, for political reasons, since the presence of its own coin served the purpose of glorifying the Kyiv state and establishing its sovereignty, as evidenced by the appearance of these coins. Despite the fact that they had significant differences (there are about 11 design options), the obligatory attributes were the image on the front side of the seated Grand Duke of Kyiv with a halo above his head, a long cross in his right hand and his left hand pressed to his chest, and on the back - an image of Jesus Christ, which in the 11th century. was replaced by a unique state emblem in the shape of a trident (the so-called family sign of the Rurikovichs).

On the front side of the most common coins of that time there is an inscription in Old Church Slavonic letters “VLADIMIR IS ON THE TABLE”, i.e. occupying the throne, ruling, and on the reverse - “AND THIS IS HIS SILVER”, which meant: “And this is his money.” For a long time in Rus', the word “srebro” (“silver”) was synonymous with the word “money”. There are also coins with the inscription on the front side “VLADIMIR AND BE HIS SILVER (or GOLD)”, and on the back - “JESUS CHRIST”.

Zlatniki of Prince Vladimir were produced for a little over ten years - until the end of the 10th century. (11 copies are known), and silver pieces - in the 11th century, both by Vladimir and his short-term (from 1015 to 1019) successor on the grand-ducal throne, his eldest son Svyatopolk the Accursed (78 copies are known). The cessation of the regular influx of oriental silver and the lack of its own raw material base doomed this economic endeavor to a rapid completion. In total, no more than 350 gold coins and silver coins from ancient Rus' have survived to this day. Including about ten pieces of silver of Yaroslav the Wise, which were minted in Novgorod, where he ruled until he took the throne of Kyiv in 1019. On the front side of the Novgorod pieces of silver there was a chest-length image of St. George. On the reverse side there is the inscription “Yaroslavl is silver” around the image of the princely sign in the form of a trident with a circle on the middle prong.

Kyiv hryvnia

Novgorod hryvnia

2. Hryvnia, ruble, half

The hryvnia, in the non-monetary period from the 11th to the 15th centuries, corresponded to a certain amount (weight) of precious metal and was a monetary unit - the “hryvnia of silver”. It could be equal to a certain number of identical coins and in this case it was called “hryvnia kun”. Silver coins, Arab dirhams in circulation in Rus', and later European denarii were called kuns. In the 11th century, the hryvnia kun consisted of 25 dirhams, the value of which was equal to a quarter of the hryvnia of silver. Both hryvnias became payment and monetary concepts in Ancient Rus'. The silver hryvnia was used for large payments, foreign dirhams and denarii (kunas) for smaller ones.

In Kievan Rus since the 11th century. Kyiv hryvnias were used - hexagonal silver plates, measuring approximately 70-80 mm by 30-40 mm, weighing about 140-160 g, which served as a unit of payment and a means of storage. However highest value in monetary circulation were Novgorod hryvnias, known first in the northwestern Russian lands, and from the middle of the 13th century. - throughout the entire territory of the ancient Russian state. These were silver sticks about 150 mm long and weighing about 200-210 g. Transitional from the Kyiv to the Novgorod ones was the Chernigov hryvnia, which was close in shape to the Kyiv one and in weight to the Novgorod one.

The ruble was first mentioned in Novgorod documents of the 13th century and was the equivalent of a whole hryvnia or half of it. By the 15th century, the ruble became a monetary unit of account; 200 “scale” coins equaled 1 ruble. When cutting the Novgorod hryvnia in half, a payment ingot was obtained - a half-ruble, which weighed about 100 g and had dimensions of approximately 70x15x15 mm. Such bars circulated throughout the “non-coinage period” from the end of the 11th century. until the middle of the 15th century. in the Russian principalities and nearby lands.

3. Moscow Principality

At the beginning of the 14th century. The strengthening of the Moscow principality began, as a result, the need arose for its own money both for the princely treasury (payment of tribute to the Tatars, salaries for military men, etc.), and for trade turnover due to the revival of internal and external economic relations. Therefore, the next Moscow prince Dmitry Donskoy (1350 - 1389) began minting his own coin.

The name of Russian coins "denga" was taken from the Mongolian coin "denga". It is known that 200 coins were minted from a hryvnia weight of silver (about 200 g), which made up the Moscow counting ruble (in those days the ruble did not exist as a real coin). To make money, the hryvnia was pulled into wire, chopped into small pieces, each of them was flattened and a silver coin weighing about 1 gram was minted.

Under Dmitry Donskoy, denga became the main monetary unit of Rus'; later, under some rulers, half of it was also issued - half-denga (polushka).

On the front side of the coins, in the middle of the inner ring, there could be an image of a warrior in profile, turned to the right or left, armed with a sword and axe, as well as a man without weapons, or a rooster. Between the inner and outer rings there was the text: “SEAL OF THE GREAT PRINCE” or “SEAL OF THE GREAT PRINCE DMITRY” in Old Russian letters. The Arabic script was initially placed on the reverse side. The fact that Rus' during this period was still under the rule of the Tatars forced Prince Dmitry to mint next to his name also the name of Khan Toktamysh (Tokhtamysh): “SULTAN TOKTAMYSH KHAN. LET IT LAST." Subsequently, the script was preserved, but became unreadable, and in the end it was replaced by Russian text.

According to the most common opinion, the term “ruble” comes from the verb “to chop”: hryvnias of silver were cut into two parts - rubles, which in turn were cut into two more parts - half. There is also an opinion that the ruble may owe its name to ancient technology, according to which silver was poured into the mold in two stages, and at the same time a seam appeared on the edge. The root “rub”, according to experts, means “edge”, “border”. Thus, “ruble” can also be understood as “ingot with a seam.”

The weight norm of the first coins of Dmitry Donskoy fluctuated between 0.98-1.03 g. However, already in the mid-80s. XIV century the money “lightened” to 0.91-0.95 g, and by the end of his reign the weight of Moscow silver coins decreased to 0.87-0.92 g.

The minting of similar coins was continued by other Grand Dukes, descendants of Dmitry Donskoy. Coins were already issued in many large quantities. On their front side there were various subject images: a horseman with a falcon on his hand (“falconer”); a horseman in a flowing cloak; a horseman with a spear slaying a dragon; horseman with sword; a man with sabers in both hands; a warrior armed with a sword and ax; a four-legged animal with a tail bent upward and even Samson tearing apart the mouth of a lion.

In addition to silver coins, small coins were also minted in Rus' during this period. copper coins, called "pulo". They were made in the princely cities - Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, and therefore the coins bore their own names - Moscow pulo, Tver pulo. The denomination of this coin was so insignificant that for one silver money they gave from 60 to 70 copper pulos. Their weight, depending on the place and date of manufacture, could be from 0.7 to 2.5 g.

The first money of Ivan III was minted weighing only 0.37-0.40 g and, just like the coins of previous rulers, could have a variety of images. Subsequently, the weight of the coins was raised to 0.75 g, and images of animals and birds disappeared from their surface. In addition, during the reign of Ivan III Vasilyevich, coins of various principalities were still in circulation, differing in both weight and design. But the formation of the Moscow state required the introduction of a single monetary standard, and from now on the vast majority of Moscow money had on the front side an image of a prince in a large hat (or crown) sitting on a horse, or a horseman with a sword in his hand, also symbolizing the Grand Duke of Moscow. On the reverse side there was most often an inscription in old Russian letters: “OSPODAR OF ALL Rus'.”

4. Ancient national coins of the Russian kingdom

The monetary reform carried out during the reign of Ivan the Terrible was built on the basis of the merger of the two most powerful coin systems of the end of the period of feudal fragmentation - Moscow and Novgorod. During the reform, the weight of the coin and the image on it were unified.

From the hryvnia of silver, 300 Novgorods were now minted (their average weight began to be 0.68 g of silver), which were equated to money, or 600 Moskovki (average weight 0.34 g of silver). It was actually half money, although it was also considered money. 100 Novgorods or 200 Moskovkas constituted a Moscow account ruble. In addition, the counting monetary units were half, hryvnia and altyn. In Poltina there were 50 Novgorodkas or 100 Moskovkas, in the grivna there were 10 Novgorodkas or 20 Moskovkas, and in Altyn there were 3 Novgorodkas or 6 Moskovkas. The smallest monetary unit was the polushka (1/4 money) weighing 0.17 g of silver.

On large-weight Novgorod money, a horseman with a spear was depicted, and on lighter Muscovite coins, there was also a horseman, but only with a saber. Because of this, already during the reform itself, Novgorod received the name “kopeyny money”, or “kopecks”. The latter name, at first little used, ultimately turned out to be more tenacious than Novgorod, and has survived to this day. The change of name allowed for a more logical line of denominations: a kopeck (Novgorodka) was equal to two money (Moskovka) or four half rubles.

On the front side of the cups there was an image of a bird, and on the back there was the text “GOVERN”. On the reverse side of the remaining coins, the inscription was first minted in old Russian letters “GRAND PRINCE IVAN OF ALL Rus'”, and after 1547, when Ivan IV Vasilyevich was crowned king, “TSAR AND GRAND PRINCE OF ALL Rus'”. Naturally, such an inscription could not completely fit on the surface of a coin, the size of which was the size of a watermelon seed, and therefore many words in it were reduced to one letter or, according to the rules of ancient spelling, in words that were clear to understand, the vowels were omitted. As a result, the inscription on the coins looked like “TSR I V K IVAN V R” (for the half coin - “GDAR”).

At the same time they stopped producing copper pullos - a new monetary system was based only on silver. Pieces of silver wire served as blanks for money, so the finished product of the money yards did not have the correct shape and was somewhat reminiscent of fish scales. It was extremely rare for such “scales” to have a complete impression of round stamps left on them. However, they did not strive for this. The main requirement for the new coins was to match the weight. At the same time, Western silver - the main material for minting coins - underwent additional purification in Rus'. The money court accepted silver by weight, carried out a purification “coal” or “bone” smelting, and only after that minted money. As a result, as experts note, the Moscow state until the middle of the 17th century. had the highest quality silver coins in Europe.

During the reign of the second son of Ivan IV, Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich (1557-1598), the coins of the Moscow state completely retained their weight and design with only one exception - the inscription on their reverse side (without abbreviations) looked like this: “TSAR AND GRAND DUKE FEDOR OF ALL Rus'" or "THE TSAR AND GRAND DUKE FEDOR IVANOVICH OF ALL Rus'".

It should be added that after the reign of Fyodor Ivanovich, the less profitable minting of coins of smaller denominations (money and half) was often stopped for many years, while the production of kopecks did not stop under any ruler.

A special place among the coins issued at the beginning of the 17th century, during the reign of Vasily Shuisky, is occupied by a penny and money made of gold. Their appearance is associated with the fact that by 1610, Tsar Vasily Shuisky had exhausted all the silver reserves in the treasury to pay for Swedish mercenary troops. Under these conditions, the Money Order found a very unique way out of the situation. The gold penny was minted with the same stamps as the silver one, and to make gold money they used stamps that had been preserved since the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich and bearing his name. The exchange rate of gold against silver was set in accordance with the norms of the Trade Book - 1:10, which almost corresponded to the pan-European level. This is how new Russian coins appeared in denominations of 5 and 10 kopecks (10 and 20 money), completely corresponding in design and weight to silver kopecks and money.

5. Russian money from the era of the first Romanovs. 1613 – 1700

During the reign of the new tsar, all coinage gradually concentrated in the Moscow Kremlin. In 1613, the Yaroslavl and Provisional Moscow mints stopped working, and the Novgorod and Pskov mints were closed in the 20s. XVII century For the first time since the time of Boris Godunov, the new Moscow government revived the tradition of minting the entire range of denominations of money (kopeck, denga, polushka).

On the front side of the penny and money there were traditionally images of a horseman with a spear or saber (sword). On the reverse side of the coins there was a text in old Russian letters with the name and title of the ruling person: “TSAR AND GRAND DUKE MICHAEL” (the name of the new tsar could also be written as “Mikhailo” or “Mikhail”) or “TSAR AND GRAND DUKE MIKHAIL FEDOROVITCH OF ALL Rus'” .

Under the next Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, initially only the inscription on the reverse sides of the coins “TSAR AND GRAND DUKE ALEXEY” was changed in Old Russian letters. The appearance of the half-shell has changed more significantly. On its front side there appeared an image of a double-headed eagle crowned with three crowns, and on the back there was the inscription “TSR”. The weight norm of the coins remained the same: a penny - 0.48 g, a denga - 0.24 g and a half coin - 0.12 g.

In 1654, the government of Alexei Mikhailovich made a decision, leaving the old silver kopecks in circulation, in addition to them, to issue a ruble coin, i.e., a denomination that had previously been only a unit of account. Thus began a large-scale, but very unsuccessful and difficult in its consequences, attempt to carry out another monetary reform.

For the manufacture of new coin it was planned to use thalers purchased from foreign merchants, and then simply re-mint the images and inscriptions on their surfaces. At the same time, the coin retained the weight and dimensions of the original, which led to the fact that the silver ruble put into circulation was equal to 64 silver kopecks.

On the obverse of the ruble, in the middle of the inner ring, there was an image of a horseman in a royal cap and with a scepter in his right hand and with his left pressed to his chest. Between the inner and outer rings there was an inscription in old Russian letters: “BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THE GREAT GOVERNOR, TSAR AND GRAND DUKE ALEXEY MIKHAILOVICH OF ALL GREAT AND SMALL RUSSIA.” On the reverse side, against the background of a patterned frame, was a double-headed eagle crowned. Above it in Old Slavonic letters the date of minting of the coin “SUMMER 7162” was indicated (i.e. the date was indicated “from the creation of the world”), and below it its denomination was “RUBLE”. The copper half-ruble had a similar design, but, naturally, on the reverse side there was an indication - “FIFTY-RUNNER”. The silver half-fifty coins on the front side also had an image of a horseman in a royal cap and with a scepter in his hand, only he was surrounded by an ornament in the form of large beads. There was also a text indication of the coin’s denomination, divided into three parts “POL-POL-TIN”. On the reverse side there was a slightly abbreviated royal title: “TSING AND GRAND DUKE ALEXEY MIKHAILOVICH OF ALL Rus'.” Among the ornaments surrounding the inscription, the date of minting of the coin was indicated in old Russian letters - “7162”.

It soon turned out that the Moscow Mint, with its backward manual technology, was not able to cope with the task assigned to it. Therefore, the production of round coins (both silver and copper), which had high denominations, was stopped, and small copper coins began to be minted using the old method - on flattened wire. At the beginning of 1655, the government of Alexei Mikhailovich completely abandoned the use of the inferior silver ruble and half a half, and the Russian monetary system almost completely returned to the old set of denominations of silver coins - kopek, denga, half. For foreign payments, instead of Russian minted rubles, Western European thalers with countermarks on the front side of a penny and the date 1955 began to be used - such coins were popularly nicknamed “efimki”.

The next step, in the same 1655, was the production of copper kopecks and money, which had the weight of silver money and were equal in price to the latter. Moreover, all tax payments were accepted only in silver coins. It continued to be minted in limited quantities only at the Moscow Mint, while large-scale production of copper began at the rest.

The copper money in circulation (mostly kopecks) gradually fell in price, which led to speculation and negatively affected trade. It got to the point that for 1 ruble in silver they gave 17 rubles in copper. By 1659, silver coins had almost completely disappeared from circulation. Since 1661, Russian copper money was completely stopped being accepted in Ukraine, and soon throughout Rus' they refused to sell grain with it. The population, driven to despair, raised an uprising in 1662, which went down in history as “ Copper Riot" And although it was brutally suppressed by the government, the very next year, with large losses for the budget (although copper money was redeemed at the rate of 5 to 1 silver kopeck for 1 ruble in copper), a return was made to the “old” silver system, which lasted for almost 40 more years, before 1700.

Coins in Ancient Rus' have been known since the 1st century. n. e., these were different coins, both their own minting and those imported from abroad. Since ancient times, the Slavs traded with many foreigners and therefore in Rus' one could find both Russian rubles and hryvnias, as well as German thalers and Arab dirhams. Modern historians say that money appeared in Rus' in the 14th century, but at the same time, they refute themselves when they say that the Slavs traded with foreigners even before the beginning of the new era.

The first mentions of native Russian Slavic coins are found in the chronicles of Novgorod and Kyiv, where the names kuna, nogat, rezan and hryvnia are found. Presumably 1 hryvnia kun = 20 nogatam = 25 kunam = 50 rezanam = 150 vereveritsa. Veksha (squirrel, veritsa) is the smallest monetary unit of Ancient Rus', 1/3 of a gram of silver. In Rus' the so-called "Kun system of measures, weights and money." Kuna is a silver coin (2 g of silver), the name of which comes from the skin of a marten, a popular barter product. Over time, the kuna was halved and amounted to 1/50 of a hryvnia-kuna until the beginning of the 15th century.

Trade between Rus' and Rome began at the beginning of the first millennium of the new era. On the territory of Ukraine and Belarus, treasures of silver coins with images of Roman emperors and with Latin inscriptions are often found. These are Roman denarii from the 1st–3rd centuries. n. e. Since trade among the Slavs was very developed at that time, Roman denarii were used everywhere. Roman denarii is the name of Roman silver coins from the times of the Republic and the first two centuries of the Empire, one of the most common coins in territories under Roman rule or influence. The Roman denarius corresponded to the Greek drachma, so Greek authors usually replace the denarius with the word drachma in stories about Roman history. The word drachma itself comes from the Assyrian (Russian) “darag-mana”, i.e. expensive exchange, denoting 10 grams of silver. Most likely, the Roman denarius also came from this word, because it, like the drachma, meant a silver coin and was similar in pronunciation. Therefore, to say that the names Roman denarii and Greek drachmas were foreign coins for the Slavs is at least stupid. Even eastern dirhams in the 8th-9th centuries. in Rus' - large silver coins with Arabic inscriptions, the name of which is also a distortion of the word drachma. Dirhams were minted in the Arab Caliphate, and from there Arab merchants brought them to the territory of Kievan Rus. Here the dirham received a Russian name: it was called kuna or nogata, and half of the kuna was called cut. 25 kunas made up the hryvnia of kunas. At the end of the 10th century. in the Arab Caliphate, the minting of silver dirhams was reduced and their influx into Kievan Rus weakened, and in the 11th century. stops completely.

Subsequently, Western European coins began to be imported into Rus', which were called the same as the Roman ones once were - dinars. The Russian names of the coins were transferred to these thin silver coins with primitive images of rulers - kun or rezany.

Russian coins were widespread - zlatniks and silver coins, which were initially minted in Kyiv. Archaeologists find silver coins from the 1st-6th centuries. The coins depicted the Grand Duke of Kiev and a unique state emblem in the shape of a trident - the so-called sign of the Rurikovichs.
The inscription on the coins of Prince Vladimir (980-1015) read: “Vladimir is on the table, and this is his silver,” which means: “Vladimir is on the throne, and this is his money” (Fig. 2). For a long time in Rus' the word “silver” - “silver” was equivalent to the concept of money.

In the 13th century Cossacks from the Golden Order, Siberian Rus', or the so-called, attacked Muscovy. Great Tartary. The reason for their campaign was the disintegration of the elite of Moscow and the western Russian principalities, their dependence on their western neighbors, Poland and Lithuania, and the forced Christianization of the Rule of the glorifying Slavs who lived in Muscovy. Many capital cities of the western principalities were destroyed, trade died out. During these difficult years in Muscovy, all coins were brought from Siberia. True, there were Kyiv hryvnias, hexagonal ingots weighing about 160 g, and Novgorod ones, in the form of a long bar weighing about 200 g. In the 14th century. On the western outskirts of the Russian lands, “Prague groschen”, minted in the Czech Republic, circulated, and on the eastern outskirts, in the current Ryazan, Gorky, Vladimir regions, there were eastern dirhams - small silver coins without images, with Arabic inscriptions.

Since the 12th century, the main Russian monetary unit has appeared - the ruble, the name of which is still alive. Rubles were parts of a hryvnia or pieces of silver with notches indicating their weight. Each hryvnia was divided into four parts; the name ruble comes from the word “cut”, because a silver rod weighing a hryvnia was cut into four parts, which were called rubles. The Novgorod ruble began to be called silver bar, and half a silver bar is a half. In the XIV century. The Principality of Moscow was one of the first to start minting under the famous Prince Dmitry Donskoy (1359-1389). On the coins of this prince we see the image of a warrior with a battle ax in his hands, next to which is the name of the prince - Dmitry. The inscription is made in Russian letters. But the other side of the coin imitates Siberian money, which was in circulation in Siberia, Great Tartaria. Until now, in Central Asia, there remain the heirs of Russian Siberian coins - the tenge in Kazakhstan and the tegreg in Mongolia.

The coins of various principalities differed from each other in both weight and appearance.
On the Novgorod coins, the laconic inscription read: “Great Novagorod.” On the coins of Pskov there was an inscription: “Pskov money.” On the coins of Novgorod and Pskov we do not see princely names, since the highest power in these cities belonged to the veche. The coins of the Ryazan principality depicted a unique coat of arms of the principality, the meaning of which has not yet been revealed, and the name of the ruling prince. On Tver coins there are hunting scenes.
The main Russian silver coin of the XIV-XV centuries. became money; this word, slightly modified (money), has acquired a broader meaning in Russian.

In addition to silver coins in some big cities coins were minted from copper - pula. There is a copper coin with the image of a bird and the inscription: “Moscow Poulo.” Silver and copper coins were minted from wire, which was cut into pieces of a certain weight (less than 1 g).
These pieces of wire, previously flattened, were minted with coins on which images and inscriptions were carved.

As the Russian principalities united into a single state, the diversity in the weight and appearance of Russian coins began to complicate trade. In 1534, a monetary reform was carried out in the Russian centralized state. Three monetary courts were left: Moscow, Pskov, Novgorod, where only one type of national coin was minted.

These were kopecks, money (1/2 kopeck) and half rubles (1/4 kopeck). On the kopecks there was an image of a horseman with a spear (hence the name “kopek”) and the inscription: “Tsar and Great Prince Ivan of All Rus'”, on the money there was a horseman with a saber and the inscription: “Tsar and Prince Great Ivan”, on the side there was a bird and the word "sovereign". 100 kopecks was a ruble, 50 was a half, 10 was a hryvnia, 3 was an altyn, but all monetary units, except for kopecks, money and half rubles, were only counting concepts.

From 1534, Russian coins remained unchanged until the end of the 17th century. Only the names of the kings in the inscriptions changed.
From that time to the present day, the counting system has been preserved (100 kopecks make up a ruble) and the names of the main monetary units (our ruble, fifty kopecks - 50 kopecks, five-altyn - 15 kopecks, ten-kopeck - 10 kopecks, kopeck).

During the years of the Polish-Swedish intervention at the beginning of the 17th century. The Russian monetary system experienced a severe shock. The invaders proclaimed the Polish prince Vladislav the Russian Tsar and began minting coins of very low weight in Moscow with his name.
In Yaroslavl, the government of the Militia under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky, in contrast to the coins of the interventionists, minted coins with the name of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, who died back in 1598, the last legitimate king of the Rurik dynasty.

In 1613, after the election of Mikhail Romanov to the throne, the previous monetary system was restored.

In 1654, the minting of large denominations began - rubles, half, half-half, altyns, since small coins were inconvenient for large trade settlements. In Russia, a penny was first minted in 1654, under Alexei Mikhailovich, and was equal to 2 kopecks. Rubles were minted from silver, similar half-rubles were minted from copper, half-half - from silver; then the so-called efimkas with a sign appeared - Western European thalers with a stamp and the date -1655. Efimok is the Russian name for the Western European silver thaler. The name "efimok" comes from the name of the first thalers minted in the city of Joachimsthaler in Bohemia (now Jachimov in the Czech Republic) - Joachimsthaler. These coins began to be imported into Russia in large quantities starting from the 16th century and were used as raw materials for minting their own silver coins. The population was reluctant to use this unusual money; it was difficult to mint it.

Soon they began to mint copper pennies, which in appearance were no different from silver ones. By order of the government, copper pennies were equated to silver ones. This was very beneficial for the treasury and disadvantageous for the people. At that time there was a war with Poland, the people suffered from general economic ruin. Money depreciated, food became more expensive, and famine began in the country.
In 1662, a popular uprising broke out in Moscow, which went down in history as the “Copper Riot.”

The frightened government canceled the new money in 1663. The minting of silver kopecks, money and half coins resumed.
Only at the beginning of the 18th century, under Peter I, were Russian coins finally changed. From 1700-1704 They began to mint silver rubles, half-rubles (560 kopecks), half-half-rubles (25 kopecks), hryvnias (kopecks, 10 kopecks), altyns (3 kopecks), copper kopecks, polushki and half-polushki. Chervonets, 10 rubles, were minted from gold. They were minted not from wire, as in the 14th-17th centuries, but on special coin blanks - circles. In this form, the Russian monetary system existed without any significant changes until the 20th century.

If you ask yourself what the oldest coins of Rus' will be, the answer may be quite surprising. It turns out that the most ancient coins that archaeologists found where the lands of the Kyiv principality extended were Roman denarii, issued in the period from four hundred to one hundred years BC. However, it is not at all a fact that they were used for buying or selling. Most likely, metal mugs with intricate designs were much more popular as components of jewelry. This fact will not seem surprising to anyone who understands the nature of commodity relations at that time. At a time when ships and caravans of merchants followed busy trade routes, Rus' was located away from these routes. Natural exchange flourished on its lands. Only with the consolidation of settlements and the emergence of cities did the need arise to have some universal equivalent of the value of any product, facilitating most exchange transactions.

Just as a tree has its beginning in its roots, so the genealogy of the coins of Ancient Rus' can be traced back to the hryvnia. The original hryvnia can hardly be called a familiar coin. In fairy tales of different nations, we often come across the fact that the wealth of a person was measured in the number of his herds of horses. It turns out that the herd acted as a purse, and the horse from it acted as a bargaining chip. The amount of silver sufficient to purchase a horse (“purchase of a mane”) began to be called “hryvnia.” According to another version, the etymology of this word is not connected with a horse’s mane, but originates from a female neck ornament, but turned into a certain measure of weight in the form of an ingot. Over time, they began to give it a characteristic shape, which the National Bank of Ukraine likes to depict on its collection sets. After the minting of coins began, the name “hryvnia” passed to them.

Gold coins and silver coins

When did the first money appear in Rus'? Historians say the most likely period for this to happen was at the end of the tenth century. For their manufacture they used precious metals- gold and silver. This led to their names “zlatniks” and “srebreniks”, but this does not mean at all that they were called that way in princely times. It was just more convenient to describe them when studying ancient coins. However, the names given later are not so far from the truth. For example, on coins dating from 980 to 1015, there is the inscription “Vladimir is on the table, and this is his silver.” Of course, the Grand Duke does not dance on the table, but this word denotes a more appropriate “throne” for him. If on one side of the coin there was a princely portrait, then on the other we can see the coat of arms of the principality, shaped like a trident or bident (later copies), or Jesus Christ (early copies). The Rurik family sign above the prince’s shoulder was not a constant, but carried changes associated with who was currently on the throne. The weight of the gold coin was slightly lighter than four and a half grams. And silver coins had a whole range of coins, where the weight varied from 1.7 to 4.68 grams. After the reign of Vladimir, gold ceased to be used for issuing coins. Silver money gained a foothold in circulation; it was accepted for payment even outside Kievan Rus, which made merchant life much easier.

The princely portrait disappears during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, replaced by the image of St. George. So the prototype of modern penny denominations arose already in those ancient times. True, here George, as we see above, is not yet riding a horse and slaying a snake. The inscription on the reverse, the center of which is occupied by the family sign of the Rurikovichs, is also modified ("Yaroslavl silver" is in place, but "on the table" is missing, so historians say that here we are talking about the reign of Yaroslav in Novgorod).

The first known copy of “Yaroslav’s Silver” from the collection of A. I. Musin-Pushkin was discovered as a pendant on an icon in one of the Kyiv churches. However, for some reason the coins did not suit the Grand Duke, and their production gradually ceased. The last surge is characterized banknotes Oleg Svyatoslavovich 1083-1094. After this, coins cease to be a means of payment and do not participate in circulation, and the period of history corresponding to this time is called “Coinless”.

Hryvnias of Old Russian principalities

The hryvnia again becomes the means of payment, but (as we mentioned earlier) in a characteristic shape in the form of a rhombus with truncated ends. The Kyiv hryvnia weighed approximately one hundred and sixty grams. The hryvnias of other principalities were more respectable. For example, in Chernigov the hryvnia was only five grams short of two hundred, and it differed from the Kyiv one in its regular diamond shape. In the Volga region and Novgorod, flat two-hundred-gram silver bars were in use. And the Lithuanian hryvnia was a bar with notches. The hryvnia was a large monetary value. For small trade transactions, small coins were used that ended up in Rus' when they were exported by merchants from neighboring countries or Europe.

Other current coins of Ancient Rus'

This foreign trifle was sometimes called words understandable to the Russian ear: “kuna”, “veksha”, “nogata” (or “nagata”, if we consider the origin from the Arabic “naghd” - “selected coin” or “naqada” - “to select good coins"). It will not be difficult for a modern person to determine the similarity in the sound of "kuna" and "marten". Indeed, the valuable fur of martens was not only a commodity, but also an exchange equivalent, which was reflected in the name of money. "Veveritsy" and "vekshi" have a similar origin ", coming from the local names of squirrel skins (a silver wecksha weighed a third of a gram). And "nogata" is a direct designation of a fur skin with legs. Interesting fact One can note the existence of leather money. Of course, they were not directly equivalent to gold or silver, but rather served as financial obligations. The meaning hidden in the name is “rezana”. This is the predecessor of "kuna". Rezana was produced in a way that was barbaric for numismatists. They took the dirhams of the Abbasid Caliphate and cut them into pieces. But the caliphate stopped issuing dirhams, and therefore the rezans gradually left the circulation. The need for small change was eliminated by the appearance of the kuna.

Rezana is symbolically combined with the ruble, which was “cut” from the silver hryvnia. The ruble was a large monetary unit, so it had to be cut into halves, which received the name “poltina”. The name "hryvnia" is gradually leaving the language, being replaced by the word "ruble". Of course, later the concept of “dime” is destined to arise, but this will already be just component ruble But the kopecks we are familiar with appeared much later, already in the Middle Ages, so there is no reason to classify them as coins of Ancient Rus'.

We can see one of Vladimir’s zlatniks on the reverse of the commemorative coin of the USSR State Bank of 1988. The golden hundred-ruble note is dedicated to the thousandth anniversary of ancient Russian coinage. It is worth recalling here that in 1988, practically at the state level, the millennium of the baptism of Rus' was celebrated. Festive events took place in the main cities of the USSR (Leningrad and Moscow), as well as in the ancient princely capitals (for example, Kyiv and Vladimir). After June 18, all dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church joined the celebrations. In this regard, the State Bank of the USSR issues an expanded series of coins, where Epiphany was not always directly mentioned, but historical monuments of that time were reflected (“1000 years of Russian literature” or “1000 years of Russian architecture”). For the silver coin, a three-ruble denomination was set aside, minted on 900-carat silver.

How many original coins of Kievan Rus have survived? Quite a bit. Thus, there are only eleven coins of gold coins belonging to Prince Vladimir, and two and a half hundred coins of silver coins. The number of known silver pieces of Prince Svyatopolk does not exceed fifty. But the fewest coins that have survived to our times are those of Yaroslav the Wise - seven copies. It is clear that it is they, together with the goldsmiths of Prince Vladimir, who are the most rare coins Ancient Rus'. For those who are interested in the topic and want to study it in detail, we highly recommend the book by Ivan Georgievich Spassky “Russian coin system". It fully and reliably sets out the monetary circulation of Ancient Rus'.

Latest auction prices for coins in Russian rubles

Photo	Description of the coin	G	VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC	Proof

Ancient Rus' largely copied the achievements of the Byzantine Empire, and money was no exception.
At the end of the 10th century, under Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the first coins in Rus' - silver coins - began to be minted. They corresponded in size and weight to the Byzantine ones, the same production technologies were used, but the inscriptions were Russian, and a princely sign was also added. Currently, only about 400 such coins are known; they are considered rarities and almost all are kept in museums.

Around the same time, gold coins appeared, copying Byzantine gold solidi. The images on the pieces of silver and gold coins are very similar. Under the following rulers, only silver pieces were minted, the latter dating back to the time of Yaroslav the Wise. Subsequently, for unknown reasons, the minting of its own coins ceased for three centuries.

Rus' did not always have its own coins, and this is well known. Payments were made for both services and goods. For a long time, furs served as the equivalent. The imperial denarius (Rome), the eastern dirham, and even the solidus of Byzantium were in use. But the era of own money has steadily arrived. So....

Serebryaniki

The first coin minted in Rus' was called a silver coin. It appeared back in the time of Prince. Vladimir, before Epiphany. The shortage of small change began to be felt especially acutely; there were not enough dirhams. The material was silver from the melting of the latter.

Silver coins were minted in two types of designs. At first it was a copy of the idea of the solidi of Byzantium: on the one hand - the throne prince. Vladimir, on the other hand - Jesus. Later the design changed. The face of the Messiah has disappeared. Its place was taken by the trident, the family coat of arms of Rurik. The portrait of the prince was surrounded by the inscription: “Prince Volodymyr is on the throne, and this is his money.”

Zolotniki (Zlatniki)

Zlatnik (980-1015)

Zlatniks were in circulation, as were silver coins. Their coinage was also launched by Prince. Vladimir. Only the coins were poured, as the name suggests, in gold. The prototype of the goldsmith was the Byzantine solidus. The weight was quite impressive - 4 g.

It was a rather rare and expensive coin with a very limited circulation. However, popular rumor keeps its name in folklore to this day. Modern numismatists can present to the public no more than a dozen zlatniks. That is why their price is very high, both on the official and on the black market.

Hryvnia

It was the hryvnia that became the truly independent official monetary unit of Rus'. It arose in the 9th-10th centuries. It was a weighty gold or silver ingot. But it was, rather, a standard of mass rather than a monetary unit. The weight of precious metals was measured using the hryvnia.

Kyiv hryvnias had a mass of 160 g and a 6-gonal honeycomb shape. The money of Novgorod was a long block weighing 200 g. However, the name is due to the difference appearance did not undergo any changes. The Tatars also used the hryvnia, which circulated in the Volga region. It was called “Tatar” and had the shape of a boat.

The name of the money comes from a completely unrelated object - a women's neck hoop, made by jewelers in gold. The decoration was worn on the mane. Hence - “hryvnia”.

Vekshi

A perfect analogue of the current penny, the ancient Russian veksha! Its other names are squirrel, veritsa. There is an interesting explanation for the first version. It says that when the small silver coin was in circulation, its “natural” counterpart was tanned squirrel skin.

The chronicles mention that the ancient tribute from some tribes was “one squirrel or coin from a single house.” By the way, one hryvnia was equivalent to 150 veks.

Coons

The conversion of the eastern dihrem is a historical fact. The denarius was no less popular. The Russians called both of them “coons.” Why?

There are two explanations. First: the equivalent of both coins was tanned and branded marten skins. By the way, very valuable, even at that time. Second: the English word “coin” (sounds: “coin”), translated as “coin”.

Rezany

Rezans were called “monetary units” designed to carry out calculations as accurately as possible. For example, marten skins were divided into flaps in order to adjust them to a certain price of the product. It was these flaps that were called “cuts” (emphasis on the second “a”).
And since the fur skin and the Arab dirham were equivalent, the coin was also divided into parts. To this day, halves and even quarters of dirhams are found in ancient Russian treasures, because the Arab coin was too large for small trade transactions.

Today, archaeologists often find halves and quarters of these coins in ancient treasures. Arab money had a fairly large denomination to operate with it in its entirety in small transactions.

Nogaty

Nogata, small change coin, 1/20 hryvnia. Its name, as philologists and historians suggest, comes from the Estonian “nahat” (“fur”). It is possible that nogata were initially “attached” to furs.

With all the variety of coins in Rus', it is quite remarkable that any trade item was “tied” to its own money. “The Lay of Igor’s Campaign” bears evidence of this in its text. It says that if Vsevolod were on the throne, a slave would be valued at a price, and a slave would be sold at a cut.

Coins of a modern walker– these are the coins that we use to pay every day in stores and that are in your wallets. These do not include commemorative coins.

First modern walker appeared in circulation in January 1998. The new coins were in denominations of 1 kopeck, 5 kopecks, made of steel with cupronickel plated with the image of St. George the Victorious; 10 kopecks, 50 kopecks made of copper-zinc alloy with the image of St. George the Victorious; 1 ruble, 2 rubles made of copper-nickel alloy with the image of a double-headed eagle; 5 rubles made of copper with cupronickel plated with the image of a double-headed eagle.

Coins were minted at two mints - the Moscow Mint (MMD) and the St. Petersburg Mint (SPMD). The mint mark is located under the hoof of the horse of St. George the Victorious, and under the paw of the eagle on the obverse of the coin.

Modern coins with a face value of 5 rubles stopped minting in 1999 and were resumed only in 2008, 2 rubles in 2000 were resumed in 2006, and 1 ruble in 2000 were resumed in 2005. Although in 2003, 1 ruble, 2 rubles, 5 rubles were minted in a circulation of 15,000 copies for sets of coins, but for some reason these sets were not released, but the coins were put into circulation. In 2002, the above-mentioned coins for sets were also minted and were not officially in circulation. Although they can still come across in circulation, because... Fewer sets were produced than were minted.

In 2006, coins of 10 kopecks and 50 kopecks began to be minted from steel clad with brass, and in 2009 they began to issue 1 ruble, 2 rubles, 5 rubles minted from steel.