History of money part 1. money of ancient Russia. The most expensive coins of ancient Russia

In Russia, coins have been in circulation since the 1st century, but the basis of the money supply was products from other states, brought by merchants and soldiers. Among the many coins, one could easily find thalers from German lands, dirhems from Arab countries.

The first ancient Russian coins

In the annals of Kyiv and Novgorod, for the first time, there are mentions of Slavic metal money:

Kuna

Nogaty

Rezany;
Veveritsy.

If we talk about their course, then historians suggest the following relationship: hryvnia = 20 nogat = 25 kuna = 50 rezan. The smallest unit was the veveritsa (veksha, squirrel), in the hryvnia there were 150 veverits or a third of a gram of silver. In turn, the kuna weighed already 2 grams of silver and gave the name "kuna" to the entire monetary system of Ancient Russia. Its name comes from the marten animal, whose fur was a widespread commodity for exchange with foreigners. This coin was in circulation until the 15th century, its purchasing power was 1/50 hryvnia.

The reign of Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (978-1015) was marked by the exit of the first Russian coins from precious metals:

On the obverse of the metal money, a prince sitting on the throne was depicted, and on the reverse - the face of Jesus Christ, copied from the solids of the Byzantine Empire.

On the following coins minted by Svyatopolk and Yaroslav the Wise in Novgorod, a princely bident or trident was depicted as a symbol of the power of a particular ruler. In 1019, Yaroslav the Wise stopped minting metal money.

The rarest silver pieces of Mikhail (Oleg) Svyatoslavovich, who ruled in Tmutarakan, were minted in 1078. On the obverse, the coins had the image of the Archangel Michael, and on the reverse, the inscription “Lord help Michael” was carved. The last princely silversmiths appeared in 1094, after which a coinless period began in Russia for almost two centuries.

Coins of Russia XII-XIV centuries

Only in the middle of the 12th century did their own silver money reappear on the territory of Russia. They received the common name "hryvnia", although they differed significantly in mass and shape:

The hryvnias of the Kyiv Principality were a diagonally elongated rhombus weighing 160 grams;

Chernihiv hryvnias weighed 196 grams, they were more symmetrical in shape, had sharp edges and edges;

In the Volga region, they paid with “hryvnia-soms”, their appearance resembled a boat, and their weight was almost 200 grams;
The Lithuanian principality made its own hryvnias in the form of sticks with wide dents across;
weighed 200 grams and were made in the form of slightly elongated bars.

The first ruble appears in Russia in the 12th century. They made it very uncomplicated: a silver rod weighing about a hryvnia was cut into 4 equal parts. Hence the name of the internal Russian currency, which has remained with us to this day. Notches were placed on each part of the ruble, according to which the weight was calculated.

From about the end of the 13th century, grivnas from Novgorod began to be called rubles. ½ of this hryvnia was called "poltina". On the coins of that time, for the first time, the names of the masters who cast the ingots appeared. But on half a century of the 14th-15th centuries, real hallmarks, letters of the prince's name and images were already put, which today allows numismatists to more accurately calculate the age and place of production of coins.

Unlike the ruble and hryvnia, coins of small denomination were all imported:

Drachmae;
guilders;
Pfennigs;
And others, including fragments and debris.

Usually in the west of the country there were coins of the European type in circulation, while in the east - the money of the Golden Horde.

By the middle of the 14th century, in the scattered Russian lands, the minting of silver coins with the simple name "money" was launched. They were made from both ingots and by re-stamping the Golden Horde coins, which were in great abundance at that time. New brands and letters of the Greek alphabet were put on the money, emphasizing their Slavic origin. Smaller coins “chetvertsy”, “poludengi” were also made of silver, weighing a quarter or a half of the money, respectively. Some princes minted their own copper change "pools", which served for settlements within their lands.

On the money of Novgorod there was a two-figure composition and the inscription "Veliky Novgorod". This appearance of the coin was preserved for almost 50 years, until 1478. Money was also minted in Torzhok, as well as in Pskov. On the latter, the inscription "Denga of Pskov" was embossed.

A unified monetary system in Russia was formed at the end of the 15th century. It contained two types of coins: Novgorod and Moscow. One ruble was equal to one hundred "Novgorodka" or two hundred "Moskovka" or four hundred "polushka". One hryvnia of silver weighing 204.75 grams was used to mint coins worth 2.6 rubles. In 1530, one ruble was equal to 100 kopecks, two half-rubles, 10 hryvnias. For three kopecks they gave altyn, and for a kopeck - 2 money or 4 pennies.

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 for a short time, therefore they did not have a great influence on monetary circulation, but represent a kind of group of cultural monuments of Ancient Russia.

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

The first Russian gold and silver coins were called gold coins and silver coins, respectively. In diameter, the zlatniks reached 24 mm, and in terms of weight they were equated to the Byzantine solid - about 4.2 g. Subsequently, the zlatnik became a Russian unit of weight called the spool (4.266 g). Coin cups for minting were cast in folding molds, which explains the presence of noticeable casting defects on the gold pieces and a significant discrepancy in weight. For the manufacture of pieces of silver, silver from Arab coins was used.

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

Reverse side: Chest image of Jesus Christ indeed, with a cross halo; right hand in a blessing gesture, in the left - the Gospel. Around the circular inscription from left to right (occasionally from right to left): ISUS CHRIST (or IC XC under titles). Around linear and dotted rims.

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 in the second half of the 10th century. there was a noticeable shortage of silver coins due to a reduction in the supply of Arab dirhams, on the other hand, political motives, since the presence of their own coins served the task of glorifying the Kyiv state and asserting 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 over his head, a long cross in his right hand and pressed to his chest with his left, and on the back - the image of Jesus Christ, which in the XI century. was replaced by a kind of state emblem in the form of a trident (the so-called family sign of the Ruriks).

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

Gold coins of Prince Vladimir were produced for a little over ten years - until the end of the 10th century. (11 copies are known), and pieces of silver were also in the 11th century, both by Vladimir and his short-term (from 1015 to 1019) successor on the grand prince's throne, the 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 undertaking to a quick end. In total, no more than 350 golden and silver coins of ancient Russia have survived to our time. Including about ten pieces of silver of Yaroslav the Wise, which were minted in Novgorod, where he ruled until he seized the throne of Kyiv in 1019. George. On the reverse side there is an inscription "Yaroslavl Silver" around the image of the prince's 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 century, corresponded to a certain amount (weight) of the precious metal and was a monetary unit - “silver hryvnia”. It could also be equal to a certain number of identical coins, and in this case it was called “hryvnia kun”. Kunas were called silver coins, Arab dirhems, and later European denarii, which circulated in Russia. In the 11th century, the hryvnia kun consisted of 25 dirhams, which was equal in value to a quarter of the silver hryvnia. Both hryvnias became monetary concepts in Ancient Russia. Silver hryvnia was used for large settlements, foreign dirhams and denarii (kuns) for smaller ones.

In Kievan Rus from the XI century. Kyiv hryvnias were used - hexagonal silver plates, approximately 70-80 mm by 30-40 mm in size, weighing about 140-160 g, which served as a unit of payment and a means of accumulation. However, Novgorod hryvnias, known first in the northwestern Russian lands, and from the middle of the 13th century, had the greatest importance in monetary circulation. - throughout the territory of the ancient Russian state. These were silver sticks about 150 mm long and about 200-210 g in weight.

The ruble was first mentioned in the Novgorod charters of the 13th century and, being the equivalent of a whole hryvnia or half of it. By the 15th century, the ruble became a counting monetary unit, 200 coins of “scales” amounted to 1 ruble. When cutting the Novgorod hryvnia in half, a payment ingot was obtained - a half, which weighed about 100 g and had dimensions of approximately 70x15x15 mm. Such ingots circulated throughout the “no coinage period” from the end of the 11th century. until the middle of the fifteenth century. in the Russian principalities and neighboring lands.

3. Moscow principality

At the beginning of the XIV century. the strengthening of the Moscow principality began, as a result, there was a need for their own money both for the princely treasury (payment of tribute to the Tatars, salaries to military people, 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 to mint his coin.

The name of Russian coins "denga" was taken from the Mongolian coin "denga". It is known that 200 coins were minted from a weight hryvnia 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 a wire, chopped into small pieces, each of them was flattened and a silver coin weighing about 1 gram was minted.

Under Dmitry Donskoy, money became the main monetary unit of Russia, later, under some rulers, its half part 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 an ax, as well as a man without weapons, or a rooster. Between the inner and outer rings was the text: "PRINT OF THE GREAT PRINCE" or "PRINT OF PRINCE THE GREAT DMITRY" in old Russian letters. On the reverse side, Arabic script was first placed. The fact that Russia during this period was still under the rule of the Tatars forced Prince Dmitry to mint the name of Khan Toktamysh (Tokhtamysh) next to his name: “SULTAN TOKTAMYSH KHAN. LET IT CONTINUE." In the future, the ligature was preserved, but already became unreadable, and in the end it was replaced by the Russian text.

According to the most common opinion, the term "ruble" comes from the verb "cut": hryvnias of silver were cut into two parts - rubles, which in turn were cut into two more parts - half a ruble. There is also an opinion that the ruble, perhaps, owes its name to an ancient technology, according to which silver was poured into a 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, the "ruble" can also be understood as "an 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. 14th century money "feel better" 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 such 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 plot images: a rider with a falcon on his hand (“falconer”); a rider in a fluttering cloak; a rider with a spear slaying a dragon; rider with a sword; a man with sabers in both hands; a warrior armed with a sword and an axe; a quadruped with an upturned tail, and even Samson tearing the mouth of a lion.

In addition to silver coins, in Russia during this period small copper coins were also minted, which were 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 from 60 to 70 copper pulos were given for one silver money. 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 with a weight of 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 from each other both in weight and in 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, most often, there was an inscription in old Russian letters: "SUPPORT ALL RUSSIA."

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 monetary systems of the end of the period of feudal fragmentation - Moscow and Novgorod. During the reform, the weight of the coin and the images on it were unified.

Now 300 Novgorodkas (their average weight began to be 0.68 g of silver) were minted from the hryvnia of silver, which were equated to money, or 600 Muscovites (the average weight of 0.34 g of silver). It was actually half money, although it was also considered money. 100 Novgorodkas or 200 Muscovites were the Moscow accounting ruble. In addition to him, the counting monetary units were half, hryvnia and altyn. There were 50 Novgorodkas or 100 Muscovites in the poltina, 10 Novgorodkas or 20 Muscovites in the hryvnia, and 3 Novgorodkas or 6 Muscovites in the Altyn. The smallest monetary unit was a 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 Muscovites, a horseman was also depicted, but only with a saber. Because of this, already in the course of the reform itself, Novgorod was called "penny money", or "penny". The last name, at first little used, turned out to be, in the end, more tenacious than Novgorod, and has come down to our days. The name change made it possible to more logically build a line of denominations: a kopeck (Novgorodka) was equal to two money (Moskovka) or four polushkas.

On the front side of the half-cups there was an image of a bird, and on the back - the text "SOVER". On the reverse side of the remaining coins, the inscription was first minted in old Russian letters “GRAND PRINCE IVAN OF ALL RUSSIA”, and after 1547, when Ivan IV Vasilyevich was married to the kingdom, “TSAR AND GRAND PRINCE OF ALL RUSSIA”. 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, vowels were omitted in words that were clear to understand. As a result, the inscription on the coins looked like "TSR AND V K IVAN V R" (for a half - "GDAR").

At the same time, they refused to issue copper pools - the new monetary system was based only on silver. Pieces of silver wire served as blanks for money, so the type of finished product of money yards did not have the correct shape and somewhat resembled fish scales. On such "flakes" it was extremely rare for a whole impression of round stamps to remain. However, they did not strive for this. The main requirement for new coins was to match the weight. At the same time, Western silver - the main material for minting coins - underwent additional purification in Russia. The money yard accepted silver by weight, carried out a cleansing “coal” or “bone” melt, and only after that minted money. As a result, as experts note, the Muscovite 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 PRINCE FYODOR OF ALL RUSSIA" or "TSAR AND GRAND DUKE FYODOR IVANOVICH OF ALL RUSSIA".

It should be added that after the reign of Fyodor Ivanovich, the minting of coins of lower denominations (money and half), which was less profitable in terms of labor costs, often ceased 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 reserves of silver in the treasury to pay for Swedish mercenary troops. Under these conditions, the Money Order found a very peculiar way out of the situation. The gold kopeck was minted with the same stamps as the silver one, and for the manufacture of gold money, stamps were used that had been preserved since the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich and bearing his name. The rate of gold in relation to silver was set in accordance with the norms of the Trading Book - 1:10, which almost corresponded to the European level. This is how new Russian coins appeared in denominations of 5 and 10 kopecks (10 and 20 money), in design and weight completely corresponding to silver kopecks and money.

5. Russian money of the era of the first Romanovs. 1613 - 1700

During the reign of the new tsar, the entire monetary business was gradually concentrated in the Moscow Kremlin. In 1613 the Yaroslavl and Provisional Moscow Mints stopped working, while the Novgorod and Pskov Mints were closed in the 1920s. 17th century The new Moscow government for the first time since the time of Boris Godunov revived the tradition of minting the entire range of denominations of money (kopek, money, polushka).

On the front side of a penny and money, there were traditionally images of a rider 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 PRINCE MIKHAIL” (the name of the new tsar could also be written as “Mikhailo” or “Michael”) or “TSAR AND GRAND PRINCE MIKHAIL FYODOROVICH OF ALL RUSSIA” .

Under the next Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, only the inscription on the reverse sides of the coins “TSAR AND GRAND DUKE ALEXEY” was initially replaced in old Russian letters. The appearance of the pillow has changed more significantly. An image of a double-headed eagle crowned with three crowns appeared on its front side, and the inscription “ЦРЬ” was placed on the back. The weight norm of the coins remained the same: a kopeck - 0.48 g, money - 0.24 g and a half-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, that is, a denomination that had previously been only a counting unit. Thus began a large-scale, but very unsuccessful and difficult in its consequences, attempt to carry out another monetary reform.

For the manufacture of a 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 front side of the ruble, in the middle of the inner ring, there was an image of a rider in a royal hat and with a scepter in his right hand and with his left pressed to his chest. Between the inner and outer ring there was an inscription in old Russian letters: "By GOD'S MERCY, THE GREAT SOVEREIGN, Tsar AND GRAND PRINCE ALEXEY MIKHAILOVICH OF ALL THE GREAT AND SMALL RUSSIA". On the reverse side, against the background of a patterned frame, a double-headed eagle topped with a crown was depicted. Above it, in Old Slavonic letters, the date of minting of the coin “LETA 7162” was indicated (that is, the date was indicated “from the creation of the world”), and below it its denomination - “RUBLE”. The copper half had a similar design, but, of course, on the reverse side there was an indication - "Fifty dollars". Silver half-fifty dollars on the obverse side also had an image of a rider in a royal hat and with a scepter in his hand, only he was surrounded by an ornament in the form of large beads. There was also a textual indication of the denomination of the coin, divided into three parts “POL-POL-TIN”. On the reverse side, a somewhat abbreviated royal title was indicated: "TSAR AND GRAND DUKE ALEXEY MIKHAILOVICH OF ALL RUSSIA." Among the ornament 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 unable to cope with the task assigned to it. Therefore, the issue of round coins (both silver and copper) of great denomination was discontinued, and small copper coins began to be minted according to 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 fifty, and the Russian monetary system almost completely returned to the old set of denominations of silver coins - a penny, a money, a half. For foreign payments, instead of rubles of Russian coinage, they began to use Western European thalers with overmarks on the front side of the penny and the date 1955 - such coins were popularly called "efimki".

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

Copper money in circulation (mostly pennies) gradually fell in price, which led to speculation and negatively affected trade. It got to the point that for 1 ruble of silver they gave 17 rubles of copper. By 1659, silver coins had almost completely disappeared from circulation. From 1661, Russian copper money was completely stopped being accepted in Ukraine, and soon they refused to sell bread on them throughout Russia. Driven to despair, the population in 1662 raised an uprising that went down in history under the name "Copper Riot". And although it was brutally suppressed by the government, the very next year, with heavy losses for the budget (although copper money was bought at a rate of 5 to 1 silver kopeck for 1 ruble of copper), a return was made to the "old" silver system that had existed for almost 40 more years, before 1700.

7 old Russian coins

Before the appearance of their coins, Roman denarii, Arab dirhams, and Byzantine solidus circulated in Russia. In addition, it was possible to pay the seller with fur. From all these things, the first Russian coins arose.

Silversmith

The first coin minted in Russia was called a silversmith. Even before the baptism of Russia, during the reign of Prince Vladimir, it was cast from the silver of Arab dirhams, in which an acute shortage began to be felt in Russia. Moreover, there were two designs of silversmiths. At first, they copied the image of the Byzantine coins of the solidi: on the front side was depicted a prince sitting on a throne, and on the back - Pantokrator, i.e. Jesus Christ. Soon silver money was redesigned: instead of the face of Christ, the trident of the Rurikovich family began to be minted on the coins, and a legend was placed around the portrait of the prince: “Vladimir is on the table, and behold his silver” (“Vladimir is on the throne, and this is his money”).

Zlatnik

Along with the silversmith, Prince Vladimir also minted similar coins made of gold - gold coins or gold coins. They were also made in the manner of Byzantine solidi and weighed about four grams. Despite the fact that there were very few of them in number - a little more than a dozen goldsmiths have survived to this day - their name is firmly entrenched in folk sayings and proverbs: the spool is small, but heavy. The spool is small, but they weigh gold, the camel is large, but they carry water. Not a share of poods, a share of spools of gold. Trouble comes in pounds, and leaves in spools.

Hryvnia

At the turn of the 9th - 10th centuries, a completely domestic monetary unit, the hryvnia, appeared in Russia. The first hryvnias were weighty ingots of silver and gold, which were more like a weight standard than money - they could be used to measure the weight of the precious metal. Kyiv hryvnias weighed about 160 grams and resembled a hexagonal ingot in shape, while Novgorod hryvnias were a long bar weighing about 200 grams. Moreover, the hryvnia was also in use among the Tatars - on the territory of the Volga region, the “Tatar hryvnia” was known, made in the form of a boat. The hryvnia got its name from a female jewelry - a gold bracelet or a hoop that was worn around the neck - the scruff of the neck or mane.

Veksha

The equivalent of the modern penny in ancient Russia was veksha. Sometimes it was called a squirrel or a veveritsa. There is a version that, along with a silver coin, a dressed winter skin of a squirrel was in circulation, which was its equivalent. Until now, there are disputes around the well-known phrase of the chronicler about what the Khazars took as tribute from the glades, northerners and Vyatichi: a coin or a squirrel “from smoke” (at home). To save up for a hryvnia, an ancient Russian person would need 150 vekshas.

In the Russian lands, the eastern dirham also circulated, which cost a quarter of the hryvnia. He, and also the European denarius, which was also popular, was called kuna in Russia. There is a version that originally the kuna was the skin of a marten, squirrel or fox with a princely brand. But there are other versions associated with the foreign origin of the name kuna. For example, among many other peoples who had a Roman denarius in circulation, there is a name for the coin that is consonant with the Russian kuna, for example, the English coin.

Rezana

The problem of accurate calculation in Russia was solved in its own way. For example, they cut the skin of a marten or other fur-bearing animal, thereby adjusting a piece of fur to one or another cost. Such pieces were called cuts. 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.

Nogata

Another small coin was nogata - it cost about a twentieth of a hryvnia. Its name is usually associated with the Estonian nahat - fur. In all likelihood, the nogata was also originally the fur skin of some animal. It is noteworthy that in the presence of all kinds of small money, they tried to associate every thing with their own money. In the "Word of Igor's Campaign", for example, it is said that if Vsevolod were on the throne, then the slave would be the price of "a leg", and the slave - "a cut".

In money business and money circulation everything is interconnected. The study of all data of coins goes along with the study of images and inscriptions on them, with an analysis of the names of coins. Reconstruction of the ancient monetary and monetary systems of all, the identification of monetary reforms is impossible without the analysis of monetary treasures. Consider a few moments from the history of money and coins in Russia.

In Russia, as elsewhere, in the beginning, cattle or animal skins, such as squirrels, sable, martens and other “soft junk,” as furs were called then, served as money in exchange. Russian furs - warm, soft, beautiful - attracted merchants to Russia from both the East and the West at all times.

Russ and cowrie shells were familiar. They were brought to us by overseas merchants who traded with Novgorod and Pskov. And then the Novgorodians themselves spread kauri throughout the Russian land right up to Siberia. In Siberia, cowrie shells were used as money until the 19th century. There, cowries were called "snake head" ...

As elsewhere, with the development of trade in Russia, the first metal money appeared. True, at first they were large silver Arab dirhems. We called them kuns. The word is derived from the Latin numismatists cunas, which means forged, made of metal.

When scientists began to figure out the monetary and weight system of Ancient Russia, they encountered difficulties that at first seemed insurmountable. First of all, the variety of names of coins amazed the imagination. Kuna? Well, of course, this is marten, marten skin, which was highly valued, especially in the East.

What is a foot? Maybe it's part of the skin, leg, paw of the animal? A small monetary unit - veksha, or veveritsa, was declared a squirrel skin. Comparison of kuna with marten fur seemed to be very successful. In a number of Slavic languages, kuna also means marten. But some scientists still believed that kunas and nogaty were metal money.

Kuna, in ancient times, was called not only dirhem, but also the Roman denarius, and the denarii of other European states, and even their own Russian silver coin. So, that's what they called money in general. Then the love of money and the love of the coon meant the same thing.

Nogata (from the Arabic "nagd" - good, selected), cut (part of the cut kuna). 25 kunas were hryvnia kunas. What is a hryvnia?

In the ancient Slavic language, the so-called neck, scruff. Then the neck decoration was also called the hryvnia - a necklace. When coins appeared, the necklace began to be made from them. Each took 25 kunas. From here it went: hryvnia kuna, hryvnia silver. Then the hryvnia began to be called silver bars.

Their coins in Russia began to be minted from the end of the 10th century. These were gold pieces and pieces of silver. They depicted the Grand Duke of Kyiv and a trident - the family sign of the princes of Rurik, it is also the emblem of Kievan Rus.

Numismatists learned about these coins by examining finds in the hoards of the 9th-12th centuries. This made it possible to restore the picture of money circulation in Ancient Russia. And before that, it was believed that Russia did not have its own money. Another thing is that golden coins and pieces of silver disappeared from circulation during the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols. Because at the same time, trade itself died out.

At that time, cowrie shells were used for small calculations, and for large ones, heavy silver ingots - hryvnias. In Kyiv, hryvnias were hexagonal, in Novgorod - in the form of bars. Their weight was about 200 grams. Novgorod hryvnia eventually became known as rubles. At the same time, half a ruble appeared.

How were they made - rubles and fifty? .. The master melted silver in a hot oven and then poured it into molds. He poured it with a special spoon - a lyachka. One lyachka of silver - one casting. Therefore, the weight of rubles and fifty was kept quite accurately. Gradually, Novgorod rubles spread throughout all Russian principalities.

Silversmith

The first coin minted in Russia was called a silver coin. Even before the baptism of Russia, during the reign of Prince Vladimir, it was cast from the silver of Arab dirhams, in which an acute shortage began to be felt in Russia. Moreover, there were two designs of silversmiths. At first, they copied the image of the Byzantine coins of the solidi: on the front side was depicted a prince sitting on a throne, and on the back - Pantokrator, i.e. Jesus Christ. Soon silver money was redesigned: instead of the face of Christ, the trident of the Rurikovich family began to be minted on the coins, and a legend was placed around the portrait of the prince: “Vladimir is on the table, and behold his silver” (“Vladimir is on the throne, and this is his money”).

Zlatnik

Hryvnia

At the turn of the 9th - 10th centuries, a completely domestic monetary unit, the hryvnia, appeared in Russia. The first hryvnias were weighty ingots of silver and gold, which were more like a weight standard than money - they could be used to measure the weight of the precious metal. Kyiv hryvnias weighed about 160 grams and resembled a hexagonal ingot in shape, while Novgorod hryvnias were a long bar weighing about 200 grams. Moreover, the grivnas were also in use among the Tatars - on the territory of the Volga region, the “Tatar hryvnia” was known, made in the form of a boat. The hryvnia got its name from a woman's jewelry - a gold bracelet or a hoop that was worn around the neck - the scruff of the neck or mane.

Veksha

Kuna

In the Russian lands, the eastern dirham also circulated. He, and also the European denarius, which was also popular, was called kuna in Russia. There is a version that originally the kuna was the skin of a marten, squirrel or fox with a princely brand. But there are other versions associated with the foreign origin of the name kuna. For example, among many other peoples who had a Roman denarius in circulation, there is a name for the coin that is consonant with the Russian kuna, for example, the English coin.

Rezana

Nogata

The first Moscow coins.

The first Moscow coins began to be minted under Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. So he began to be called after the victory in the Battle of Kulikovo over the Horde Khan Mamai. However, on the money of Dmitry Donskoy, along with his name and the image of a horseman with a saber and a battle ax, the name and title of Khan Tokhtamysh were minted, because Russia still remained dependent on the Horde. The silver coin of Dmitry Donskoy was called denga (without a soft sign). In Tatar it means "voiced". Denga was minted from silver wire, which was cut into pieces of the same size and weight, less than one gram. These pieces were flattened, then the minter hit the workpiece with a coin and, please, the coin is ready with all the necessary inscriptions and images. Such coins looked like large fish scales. Gradually, the rider with a saber and an ax on Moscow coins gave way to a rider with a spear. Under Tsar Ivan the Terrible, coins began to be called kopecks after this spear.

The introduction of kopecks was preceded by such a story ... The fact is that, following Dmitry Donskoy, almost all Russian princes began to mint coins - both great and appanage: Tver, Ryazan, Pronsky, Utlitsky, Mozhaysky. The names of local princes were written on these coins. And on the coins of Rostov the Great they wrote the names of four princes at once - Moscow and three local ones. The Novgorod coins also had their own character.

Such inconsistency and variegation in appearance and the weight of the coins made trade difficult. Therefore, at the beginning of the 16th century, under the five-year-old Ivan the Terrible, they were canceled. And a penny appeared on the stage - a nationwide coin. These coins were minted at three money yards - in Moscow, Pskov and Veliky Novgorod.

Probably, at the same time, the saying “a penny saves a ruble” appeared, this reflected its weight. After all, one hundred kopecks of Ivan the Terrible was a ruble, 50 - half a ruble, 10 - hryvnia, 3 - altyn ... Russian coins remained like this until the end of the 17th century, until the time of Tsar Peter I.

Ancient Russia largely copied the achievements of the Byzantine Empire, and money was no exception.
At the end of the 10th century, under Vladimir Svyatoslavich, they began to mint the first coins in Russia - pieces of silver. They corresponded to the Byzantine ones in size and weight, 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 of them are kept in museums.

Around the same time, goldsmiths appeared, copying Byzantine gold solids. The images on pieces of silver and gold pieces are very similar. Under the following rulers, only pieces of silver were minted, the latter date back to the time of Yaroslav the Wise. In the future, for unknown reasons, the minting of their own coins stops for three centuries.

Russia 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 an equivalent. In the course there was an imperial denarius (Rome), and an eastern dirham, and even a Byzantine solidus. But the era of own money has steadily come. So....

Silversmiths

The first of the coins minted in Russia was called a silversmith. She appeared in the time of the book. Vladimir, before Baptism. The lack of small change began to be felt especially acutely, there were not enough dirhams. The material was silver from the remelting of the latter.

Silver pieces were minted in two types of designs. At first it was a copy of the idea of the Byzantine solids: on the one hand - the throne book. Vladimir, on the reverse - Jesus. Later the design changed. The face of the Messiah has disappeared. His place was taken by a trident, Rurik's family coat of arms. 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)

Goldsmiths were present in the course, as were silversmiths. Their coinage was also unfolded by Prince. Vladimir. Only poured coins, as the name implies, in gold. The Byzantine solidus served as the prototype for the goldsmith. The weight was quite impressive - 4 g.

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

Hryvnia

It was the hryvnia that became a truly independent official monetary unit of Russia. It originated in the 9th-10th century. It was a heavy gold or silver ingot. But it was, rather, a standard of mass than a monetary unit. With the help of the hryvnia, the weights of precious metals were measured.

Hryvnias of Kyiv had 160 g of mass and a 6-coal shape of a honeycomb. The money of Novgorod was a long bar weighing 200 g. However, the name did not change due to the difference in appearance. The Tatars also used the hryvnia, which circulated in the Volga region. It was called that, "Tatar", had the shape of a boat.

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

Vekshi

A perfect analogue of the current penny, old Russian veksha! Its other names are squirrel, string. There is an interesting explanation for the first version. It says that during the circulation of a small silver coin, its “natural” counterpart was a dressed squirrel skin.

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 vekshas.

Kuna

The conversion of the Eastern dichrem is a historical fact. No less popular was the denarius. The Russians called them both “kuns”. Why?

There are two explanations. First, dressed and stamped marten skins served as the equivalent of both coins. By the way, very valuable, even in those days. Second: the English word "coin" (sounds: "coin"), in translation - "coin".

Rezans

Rezans were called "monetary units", designed to calculate as accurately as possible. For example, marten skins were divided into patches in order to fit them to a certain price of the goods. 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 rather large denomination in order to operate with them as a whole in small transactions.

Nogaty

Nogata, a small change coin, 1/20 hryvnia. Its name, as philologists and historians suggest, came from the Estonian "nahat" ("fur"). It is possible that the legs were originally "tied" to furs.

With all the variety of coins in Russia, the fact that any trade thing was “tied” to its own money is quite remarkable. Evidence of this is in its text "The Tale of Igor's Campaign". It says that if Vsevolod were on the throne, a slave would be valued at a foot, and a slave would be sold at a cut.

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