Russian money: paper bills and coins

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Russian money did not appear immediately with the emergence of the state of the Eastern Slavs. The commodity-money system on the territory of the state developed quite slowly and progressively. The article will consider the history of the emergence of money in Russia, the process of changing their form, the transformation of coins into banknotes and the development of economic relations in the country.

First money

In the 9th century, when the state of Russia only appeared on the maps, marten skins were money on its territory, they later became known as kuns. In the north of Russia there was a huge number of forests where fur animals lived, which were not in Byzantium, so Byzantine merchants bought furs from the Rus. So, gold coins, which became known as gold coins, got into the territory of the ancient Russian state. Later, pieces of silver, minted from silver, also appeared. The appearance of these coins fell on the period of the baptism of Russia, when the connection between Byzantium and Russia became noticeably stronger. Therefore, we can say that Russian money, coins in particular, came from Byzantium.

The beginning of fragmentation

This periodin the history of Russian coins is called "coinless". When Russia broke up into 15 specific principalities, the minting of coins stopped, in particular, the concept of a single coin, which had the same value in each principality, disappeared. Therefore, historians studying this period very often find silver bars, which at that time replaced coins.

The appearance of new coins

The period of fragmentation had a huge number of minuses, but there were also many pluses. Each principality sought to improve its economic situation and culture, so this period is also an eternal competition between the destinies. So, in Novgorod in the 13th century they began to mint 1 ruble. It was a small piece of silver, weighing about 200 grams, which was chopped off at the ends. Then the rubles began to be divided, from this coin smaller money was obtained at face value. Each principality had completely different funds. This situation continued until they were united into a centralized state.

Moscow Rus

At the end of the reign of Ivan 3, when he had almost completed the process of unification of the principalities, Russian money again began to be minted according to a single principle and system. This continued during the reign of his son Vasily 3. But when his mother Elena Glinskaya became regent under the young Ivan 4, she decided to reform the state’s monetary system in order to make it unified, and established patterns according to which coins were to be minted. There were 2 coins in total, both of them were minted from silver. On one of them, which had a smallerdenomination, a horseman holding a sword was depicted. Therefore, they received the name "sword". On other coins, which had a higher denomination, the same rider was depicted, but in his hands was a spear. This Russian money was called "spear". Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich was the first to stamp the date on coins. Gradually 1 ruble disappeared from circulation. Although the name "ruble" was used, such a coin practically did not exist. In principle, at that time there were practically no coins in the country, even a penny played a huge role, so it was divided into 3 parts.

Vasily Shuisky ruled for only a few years and managed to issue the first gold coin, which had practically never been in the state since its formation.

Imperial Russia

Peter 1 again wanted to change the country's monetary system, starting to issue silver rubles. They also began to issue silver coins in smaller denominations. But a few decades later, Catherine 2 decided to replace these coins with bronze ones, since the country lacked silver, but, as you know, silver is much more expensive than copper, so the new Russian money became much larger and heavier than the previous ones. So, the ruble began to weigh about one and a half kilograms. In shape, it resembled a quadrangle, in the corners of which the coat of arms of the state was depicted. They also began to issue coins with a smaller denomination, but after some time they were abolished, as they were very uncomfortable, heavy and huge.

The daughter of Peter 1, Elizabeth, issued a ten-ruble coin, she was called an imperial, a five-ruble coin receivedname semi-imperial.

This order continued until the end of the nineteenth century. But then gold coins were introduced into circulation, the main unit of which was the ruble. But it was called gold only conditionally, it contained only a particle of the precious metal. Silver coins, imperial and semi-imperial also continued to be minted.

Paper money

The daughter of Peter 1, Elizabeth, was involved in the Minich plan, which contributed to the improvement of the country's financial situation by introducing inexpensive paper money instead of metal money, as was done in Europe. But this project was not accepted in the Senate. But Catherine the Second, who knew the European order and ways of saving, decided to put this proposal into practice. And at the end of the sixties of the eighteenth century, they issued new Russian money in denominations of 100, 75, 50 and 25 rubles. People began to exchange inconvenient copper money for this, new banks were opened for this.

By the way, these banknotes were called banknotes. But they began to gradually depreciate, as their number grew every year.

USSR money

During the First World War, an increased issue of paper money began, even copper coins disappeared from circulation. Also, money has become much easier to counterfeit, counterfeiters have appeared in the country.

At the beginning of the twenties, they began to issue denominations of 5 and 10 thousand, there was not enough small money, there was nothing to change large bills. Then the government decided to put into circulation tokens, authenticitywhich was confirmed by a special stamp. From that time on, money began to depreciate. From the twenties, the monetary system began to strengthen, a new unit appeared - a gold piece. Nickel coins have been introduced.

In 1961, a monetary reform was carried out, which further increased the purchasing power of the ruble.

Modern Russia

From 1990 to the present, the reform of the monetary system of the modern state continues. But we can say with confidence that the money of the Russian Federation bears a great resemblance to the money of the times of Imperial Russia.