Mints are enterprises of a production type, the main activity of which is the minting of coins, in the manufacture of orders, medals and other distinctive symbols. The history of enterprises goes into the distant past, at the time of the appearance of the first monetary systems. Today, mints are high-tech enterprises that issue coins at the request of State banks. All manufacturers work in a strictly classified mode.
Types of mints and a bit of history
Mints may be state-owned, which fulfill orders from the Central Bank. There are similar private organizations specializing in the issuance of orders and medals, badges and license plates. Each type of enterprise is characterized by the presence of its own unique brand applied to all coins. The ownership of coins of state and territorial type is determined precisely with the help of the stigma. The first mention of this category of production dates back to the 5th century BC. The first mints appeared in Athens. From the 2nd century BC, production was transferred from the Theseus temple to the Juno temple. Already 115 years after the birth of Christ, the court was in the Roman Coliseum. After the emergence of production in Rome, Lyon, Constantinople, in Sicily and Aquileia, they spread throughout the world.
The first courtyards in Russia: assumptions of historians
It is very difficult to imagine what the mint was like in the past. No photos were taken at that time, no sketches were preserved. There are only assumptions and conjectures. There are facts that indicate that enterprises were handed over to private individuals, whose activities were subsequently closely monitored. People minting coins were exempted from taxes and duties. They had privileges to prohibit prosecution for all acts except murder, robbery and fraud. Historical records indicate that the very first mints on the territory of modern Russia in the past worked in such Greek cities of the time as Theodosius and Gorgippia, today known as Anapa. Traces of such industries were seen in Derbent and Tmutarakan.
The first courtyard in Moscow: theories and conjectures
According to preliminary estimates and research, organized coin minting in Moscow began during the reign of Ivan Donskoy (1362-1389). No information about this courtyard and its location does not exist in historical notes, the fact of its presence was established solely on the basis of an analysis of coins of that time. The first Moscow money was decorated with Russian and Arabic inscriptions; numerous technologically executed stamp links were recorded on them.
History Mentions
Russian mints, whose presence is officially recorded, were founded in the 14-15th centuries. At that time, the country was led by John III. Coinage was carried out not only in Moscow, but also in cities such as Pskov, Novgorod and Tver. In the period from the 16th to the 17th century, the minting of coins was entrusted to the mitzmaster. This practice was common in Europe. There is evidence that in the 15th century in Moscow not only state-owned enterprises functioned, but also cash workshops of individual princes of the Kalita clan. The first recorded “sovereign” court appeared after one of the first monetary reforms of Elena Glinsky from 1535 to 1538. The company was located on Varvarka street. This event was the beginning of the unification of the Russian monetary system. Mints of Russia already many centuries ago issued coins of uniform weight and appearance, which were mandatory for acceptance throughout the Russian state. Chasing was carried out manually, and silver wire served as the material for production. The wire was initially cut into pieces of the same size, and then pressed. Next, the manual embossing of images and inscriptions on smooth blanks began.
Centralization of monetary economy
In 1595, an agency called the Money Order was formed. The organization exercised control over the minting of coins on behalf of the state. This step became the basis for the whole centralization of the monetary economy. All the money yards that worked at that time on the territory of the country received official designations with which they needed to label their products.
- Moscow yard - “M” or “MO”.
- Novgorod yard - "V. BUT".
- Pskov yard - “PS”.
Coin enterprises of Russia 15-20 centuries
The answer to the question of how to determine the mint, it became easier to give after each company has its own crown marking. Mention may be made of the following productions, which have contributed to the minting of coins:
- Red courtyard, or Chinese. It is located near the Kitaygorod wall. The symbols “KD”, “MMD”, “MM” were put on the obverse and reverse of the coins. Production worked from 1697 to 1979. The yard issued gold, silver and copper money of a national type with different denominations. They also made special coins. The Mint issued funds for the Baltic provinces and Prussia.
- Kadashevsky yard in the Kadashevskaya settlement. He was also called Khamovny, Zamoskvoretsky, Naval and Admiralty. On the obverse and reverse were placed the signs “MM” and “MD”, “MDZ” and “DMD”, “M” and “Moscow”, “Mint”. Production worked from 1701 to 1736. Gold, copper and silver coins of different denominations were issued. Copper coins have been produced in a specialized production department since 1704.
- Embankment copper courtyard in the Kremlin. Such signs as “ND” and “NDZ”, “NDD” were minted on coins. He worked from 1699 to 1727, issued coins of all denominations.
- The St. Petersburg, or Imperial, mint was founded on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress in 1724. The designations on the coins are “SPB” and “SPM”, “SP” and “SM”. He worked until the release of the tsarist government’s money. He took an active part in the re-printing of bronze coins.
- The Yekaterinburg yard issued coins with the designations "EM" and "Yekaterinburg." He worked from 1727 to 1876. The issue of coins was supplemented by the manufacture of circles for other mints.
It is worth mentioning such enterprises as the Imperial Mint and Anninsky (“AM”), Kolyvan (“KM” and “Kolyvan Copper”) and Suzunsky (“SM”) Sestrovetsky (“SM”) and Kolpinsky (“KM”), Tauride (“TM”) and Tiflis, Warsaw (“VM”, “MW”) and Helsingfors.
Manufactures that did not use their insignia
The mint mark made it possible to determine where and when a coin of a certain denomination was issued. However, in the history of Russia, yards were widely spread that did not use their own insignia, but stamped on monetary units the stamp of other industries. These are the Banking Courtyard and the Rosencrantz Plant, the Paris Courtyard and Strasbourg, Birmingham and Izhora, Brussels Courtyard and Avestsky. Moreover, some mints, such as Krasny or Petersburg, could use the insignia of the Kadashevsky and Naberezhny Copper Yards, and other similar organizations, which significantly complicated the work of historians.
Coinage in the RSFSR and the USSR
In the RSFSR, the following signs helped to determine which mint was issuing money:
- "A.G." - these are the initials of Hartmann, who was at that time the head of the monetary redistribution until 1923.
- "P.L." - the initials of Latyshev, the chief since 1924.
- "T.R." - the initials of Thomas Ross, the head of the mints of the London Court.
The sign of the mint during the existence of the USSR was of two types:
- “LMD” or “L” - Leningrad Mint.
- “MMD” or “M” - Moscow Mint.
Such a sign appeared and is a kind of symbol of the coin's belonging to a specific production. A symbol may be in the form of letters, or may be presented in the format of a monogram, picture or sign.
Modern Russia
In modern Russia, the following designations can be found on coins: “MMD” and “SPMD” - which indicate their release either at the Moscow or St. Petersburg Mint. Since 1991, it has been customary to put signs like “M”, “L”, “MMD” and “LMD” on money. Since the period of 1997, it is “M”, “S-P” and “MMD”, “SPMD”. The last two characters were deposited on money in the form of a monogram. Coins of Russia, starting in 1997, are decorated with the inscriptions "M", "S-P", "MMD" and "SPMD" in monogram format. On small coins with a face value of 1, 5, 10 and 50 kopecks, the sign can be seen on the right side under the hoof. The signs "M" and "C-P" on coins with a face value of 1, 2 and 5 rubles are located under the right paw of the eagle. The monogram "SPMD" can be seen on the anniversary banknotes of Russia with a face value of 10 rubles. It is located on the obverse, directly under the inscription "10 rubles."
How are coins issued in 2015?
Since 1992, the Central Bank of Russia has been issuing commemorative coins of both a precious and non-precious format each year. Moreover, the issue of investment coins, which are completely minted from precious metals, is systematically carried out. At the same time, as before, a mint mark is affixed on each of them. The minting process is carried out as part of the main issuing activity and is planned throughout the previous year. The coin issuance plan is approved by the management of the Central Bank and then posted on the official website of the latter. Each collection coin is issued either at the Moscow or St. Petersburg mints. This makes it easy to find the answer to the question of how to identify a mint. Coins are decorated with special signs, of which there are only 4. Today, the country's Central Bank has no right to distribute collectible coins to individuals. The main distributor is Sberbank. Coins are initially bought up in the first wave by speculators, who later sell them at an inflated price.
