Each state that arose on this planet in any of the historical periods, came in the end to the fact that he needed something more than exchange in kind. The increase in trade growth and the emergence of large cities forced rulers or communities to find a way to evaluate a particular product. Thus formed commodity-money relations.
Coins of Ancient Russia appeared in the Principality of Kiev at a time when the young state felt a vital need for this.
Money in Kievan Rus before minting
Before the Slavic tribes united into a single great state - Kievan Rus, countries with more ancient history have been minting money for many centuries and, thanks to them, have been trading with each other.
The most ancient coins of Russia, found on the territory of the Kiev principality, date back to the 1-3th centuries BC. e. and are Roman denarius. Such artifacts were found at the excavation site of ancient settlements, but the Slavs used them for payment or for jewelry, while it is not reliably known. Since trade relations between the tribes were more of an exchange nature, the true value of denarii in this territory has not been studied.
So, the coin of Ancient Russia, kuna is a concept that is applicable according to Old Russian chronicles to both Roman, Byzantine and Arabic money, and to the marten fur, which is often used to pay for goods. Fur and leather have long been the subject of commodity-money relations in many countries.
Own money in Kievan Rus began to be minted only from the end of the 10th century.
Coins of Kievan Rus
The earliest coins of Ancient Russia, found on the territory of the Principality of Kiev, had an image of a prince on one side and a trident or two-tooth coat of arms on the other. They were made of gold and silver, so in the 19th century, when studying ancient coins and describing them in the annals, they were given the name "zlatniks" and "silver pieces."
The image of Prince Vladimir on coins from 980 to 1015 had the inscription "Vladimir is on the table, and there is his silver." On the reverse side, the sign of the Rurikovich was depicted, which changed depending on who reigned.
The very first silver coins of Ancient Rus and the name "hryvnia" applicable to them have their own etymology. Initially, this word meant an ingot of silver equal to the cost of one horse (mane). In the annals of those years, the category "silver hryvnia" is mentioned. Later, when the outflow of coins from this metal began, it began to correspond to its amount in the banknote.
Under Vladimir the Great, minted goldfish, which had a weight of ~ 4.4 g, and silver pieces, the weight of which ranged from 1.7 to 4.68 grams. In addition to the fact that these banknotes were widespread and of commodity value within Kievan Rus, they were also accepted outside it when making settlements in trade. Gold coins of Ancient Russia were made only under Prince Vladimir, while his followers used exclusively silver for this.
The image on the obverse of the portrait of Prince Vladimir, and on the reverse - a sign of belonging to the Rurik dynasty was political in nature, as it showed the subjects of the newly united state its central authority.
Banknotes of Russia 11-13th centuries
After the death of Vladimir, coins of Ancient Russia were continued to be minted by his son Yaroslav (Prince of Novgorod), known in history as the Wise.
Since Orthodoxy has spread throughout the Kiev principality, on banknotes of Yaroslav there is an image not of the prince, but of St. George, whom Vladyka considered his personal patron. On the reverse side of the coin was still a trident and an inscription that it was Yaroslav’s silver. After he began to reign in Kiev, coinage stopped, and the hryvnia took the form of a silver rhombus.
The last coins of Ancient Russia (the photo below is the money of Oleg Svyatoslavich) are banknotes of 1083-1094, since the subsequent historical period of this state is called coinless. At this time, it was customary to calculate the silver hryvnia, which was actually an ingot.
There were several varieties of hryvnia, the main difference of which was in shape and weight. So, the Kiev hryvnia had the form of a rhombus with cut ends, the weight of which was ~ 160 g. In the course were also Chernihiv (rhombus of regular shape weighing ~ 195 g), Volga region (flat ingot 200 g), Lithuanian (bar with notches) and Novgorod (smooth bar weighing 200 g) hryvnia.
The smallest coin of Ancient Russia was still of European origin, since they did not spend silver on trifles. In the days of the Principality of Kiev, foreign money had its name - kuna, legata, veksha - and had its own face value. So, in the 11-12th centuries, 1 hryvnia was equal to 20 feet or 25 kunas, and from the end of the 12th century - 50 kunas or 100 centuries. This is due to the rapid growth of both Kievan Rus itself and its trade relations with other countries.
There is an opinion of scientists that the smallest coin was considered marten skins - kuns, and squirrels - warriors. One skin was equal to the twenty-fifth or fiftieth part of the hryvnia, but since the 12th century, payment with fur has outlived itself since the coinage of metal kuns began.
The appearance of the ruble
From the 12th century, “chopped” money that was made from silver hryvnia began to appear in the circulation of Kievan Rus. It was a silver rod, which included 4 "chopped" parts. Each such piece had notches indicating its weight and, accordingly, its value.
Each ruble could be divided into 2 halves, then they were called "half a half." From the 13th century, all hryvnias gradually acquired the name “ruble”, and from the 14th century they began to depict the hallmarks of masters, the names of princes and various symbols.
Coins of Ancient Russia were used not only to pay for goods, but also to pay fines to the treasury of the prince. So, for the murder of a free citizen, the punishment was the supreme measure - “vira”, which could cost from 5 hryvnias for a stink and up to 80 hryvnias for a noble person. For inflicted injury, the court imposed a sentence of half-birch. "Poklepna" - a fine for defamation - was equal to 12 hryvnias.
Payment of taxes to the princely treasury was called a "bow", and the law itself, issued by Yaroslav the Wise, was called a "bow to the faithful", indicating the amount of tribute levied from each community.
Coins of the Moscow Principality
The “non-coin” time in Kievan Rus ended by the middle of the 14th century, when the minting of coins called “money” began again. Often, instead of minting, they used silver coins of the Golden Horde, on which Russian symbols were knocked out. The small coins made were called “half-money” and “quartet”, while copper coins were called pools.
At this time, banknotes did not yet have a generally accepted face value, although Novgorod money produced since 1420 is already close to this. They have been minted for over 50 years unchanged - with the inscription "Veliky Novgorod."
In 1425 the “Pskov money” appeared, but a unified system of money was formed only at the end of the 15th century, when 2 types of coins were accepted - Moscow and Novgorod. The basis of the denomination was the ruble, the value of which was equal to 100 Novgorod and 200 Moscow money. The hryvnia of silver (204.7 g) was still considered the main monetary unit of weight, from which coins for 2.6 rubles were cast.
Only since 1530, 1 ruble received the final face value, which is still used. It is equal to 100 kopecks, half a half - 50, and hryvnia - 10 kopecks. The smallest money - altyn - was equal to 3 kopecks, 1 kopeck had a face value of 4 polushki.
Rubles were minted in Moscow, and small money - in Novgorod and Pskov. During the reign of the last of the Rurikovich clan, Fyodor Ivanovich, pennies were also minted in Moscow. Coins acquired the same weight and image, which indicates the adoption of a single monetary system.
During the Polish and Swedish occupation, money again lost its uniform appearance, but after the proclamation of a king from the Romanov clan in 1613, the coins acquired the same appearance with his image. Since the end of 1627, the Moscow Mint became the only one in the country.
Coins of other principalities
At various times, the Russian principalities minted their money. The most widespread production of coins was after Dmitry Donskoy released his first money, which depicted a warrior with a saber on his horse. They were made of a thin silver rod, which was previously flattened. The craftsmen used a special tool with a prepared image - a coinage, which, when struck in silver, produced coins of the same size, weight and pattern.
Soon, the rider's saber was replaced by a spear, and the name of the coin, due to this, became a “penny”.
Following the Donskoy, many specific principalities began to mint their coins, depicting the ruling princes on them. Because of this, there was a discrepancy in the face value of money, which made trading extremely difficult, therefore, except for Moscow, coinage was banned elsewhere, and a unified monetary system appeared in the country.
Rezana
In addition to solid ones, there was also a homemade coin in Ancient Russia, which was called "rezana". It was made by cutting the dirham of the Abbasid caliphate. The nominal value of the “cut” was equal to 1/20 hryvnia, and the circulation continued until the 12th century. The disappearance of this coin from the space of Kievan Rus is due to the fact that the caliphate stopped minting dirhams, and the “rezan” began to be replaced by kuna.
Coins of Russia of the 17th century
Since 1654, the main money was the ruble, poltina, half poltina and altyn. Smaller coins were not needed.
Rubles at that time were made of silver, and poltins, having similarities with them, were minted from copper for their difference. Half dips were also silver, and pennies copper.
The tsar’s decree led to real inflation, commanding them to equate the copper trifle in value to silver, because of which food prices went up and popular unrest began. The great uprising in 1662 in Moscow, called the “copper revolt”, led to the fact that the decree was canceled and the coinage of silver money restored.
Reform of Peter 1
The first real monetary reform was carried out by Peter the Great in 1700. Thanks to her, the minting of silver rubles, half a half, half a half, altyn, hryvnia and copper penny began at the mint. Gold was made of gold. Gold round billets were made for them, on which inscriptions and images were applied by embossing.
There were simple (weight - 3.4 g) and double chervonets (6.8 g depicting Peter 1 on the obverse and a double-headed eagle on the reverse). Also in 1718, for the first time, a coin with the face value image appeared - a two-ruble coin.
Virtually unchanged, these denominations lasted until the 20th century.
Coins of Kievan Rus today
Today there are:
Zlatnikov Vladimir - 11;
- silver coins of Vladimir - more than 250;
- silverfish Svyatopolk - about 50;
- silverfish of Yaroslav the Wise - 7.
The most expensive coins of Ancient Russia are Vladimir Zlatniks (more than $ 100, 000) and Yaroslav the Wise silver coins ($ 60, 000).
