Ancient Russian Copper Coin in Half a Penny: Appearance and History

In ancient times, Russia did not know the paper money. Equivalent modern banknotes were sonorous coins, and in different areas of the ancient country they were different: their measures, weight and nominal value were not the same. Ancient Russian copper coin in polkopeyki was neither bizarre, nor especially valuable. It was remarkable only for its name.

During the reign of the Golden Horde, their denominations were not issued by Russian principalities, but in the course were the Tatar. After reducing the influence of the Horde on Russian lands in many places, coins began to be minted by local authorities, and the names of such banknotes often echoed with the place of their production. So, such coins as Novgorod, Pskov, Moscow and others are known.

Pennies and sabellets

Repeated attempts to centralize a huge uncontrolled money supply were crowned with success only by Elena Glinskaya - the mother of Ivan the Terrible, who at the time of his youth actually ruled the Moscow state. This powerful woman reformed the state's monetary system, unified it and put it in order. According to the unification, the old Russian copper coin in polkopeyki had two varieties.

1. Novgorod money - old coins, also called Novgorod or kopeynymi money. A payment unit was issued in Novgorod, and this ancient Russian copper coin in polkopeyki received from the image on the obverse of the rider with a spear.
2. Moscow money was issued by the mint of the Moscow principality. These ancient polkopeyki were also called saber-horses because of the image on the front side of the rider with a saber raised over his head.

These coins were simultaneously in circulation, although they were estimated in different ways - one Novgorod was equal to two Moscow people.

For several centuries of existence of this monetary system, the nominal values of using this money have become stronger: one hundredth of a ruble was called a penny. Also in everyday life there was an ancient Russian copper coin in polkopeyki, the price of which was 1/200 rubles.

The monetary reform of Peter

During the reign of Peter I the ancient Russian copper coin in polkopeyki retained its importance and its name. At the same time, it was established and its final name - money. Later, the coin was called "money", there was also another name - "polkopeyki." Ancient polkopeyki sometimes changed their name from century to century, but the par value remained the same. In its meaning, this coin was in circulation until 1917.

½ penny in the USSR

Established Soviet power held its first state monetary reform in 1925. The nominal value of the old coin remained the same - ½ kopecks. It was produced with the same weight and had the same diameter as its "sister" pre-revolutionary times. In August 1925, the mint launched the first series of coins with a face value of ½ kopeck. By October, the turnover of such coins was 160 thousand rubles. The bulk of the surviving half-kopeks dates back to 1925, but it is also known about repeated releases of this money - in 1927 and 1928.

Farewell to the coin

After the end of the Second World War, there was a need for a re-reform of the monetary system. In 1961, the Mint began a trial issue of an updated coin of ½ kopecks. Until now, not more than ten pieces of copper denominations of this denomination have been preserved. After the manufacture of such probes it became clear that in mass production they should not be launched - the cost of manufacturing this unit of money was too great. Therefore, it was decided to round off problem prices, and to withdraw a coin of ½ kopecks from circulation.