Russian money: paper bills and coins

Russian money appeared not immediately with the emergence of the state of the Eastern Slavs. The commodity-money system on the territory of the state developed rather slowly and progressively. The article will consider the history of the appearance of money in Russia, the process of changing their form, converting coins into bills and developing economic relations in the country.

First money

In the 9th century, when the state of Rus just appeared on maps, the money in its territory was the skins of martens, later they were called kunas. In the north of Russia there was a huge number of forests inhabited by fur-bearing animals, which were not in Byzantium, therefore Byzantine merchants bought furs from Rusov. So on the territory of the ancient Russian state, gold coins came to be called Zlatniks. Later appeared and silver, minted from silver. The appearance of these coins fell on the period of the baptism of Rus, when the connection between Byzantium and Rus was noticeably stronger. Therefore, we can say that Russian money, coins in particular, came from Byzantium.

The beginning of fragmentation

This period in the history of Russian coins is called "impeccable". When Rus broke up into 15 appanage princedoms, coinage stalled, 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 ingots, which at that time replaced coins.

The appearance of new coins

The period of fragmentation had a huge number of minuses, but there were many pluses. Each principality sought to improve its economic position and culture, so this period is also an eternal competition between the domains. So, in Novgorod in the 13th century, one ruble was minted. 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 received smaller money at face value. In every principality were completely different funds. This situation continued until they were merged into a centralized state.

Moscow Rus

At the end of the reign of Ivan 3, when he had almost completed the process of uniting the principalities, Russian money was once again minted according to a single principle and system. This continued during the reign of his son Vasily 3. But when the regent under the young Ivan 4 became his mother Elena Glinskaya, she decided to reform the state's monetary system in order to make it unified, installed samples on which the coins were to be minted. In all there were 2 coins, both of them were minted from silver. On one of them, which had a smaller denomination, was depicted a rider holding a sword. Therefore, they received the name "sword". On other coins, which had a larger denomination, the same rider was depicted, but in his hands was a spear. These Russian money were called "kopeynye." Tsar Feodor Ivanovich was the first to stamp out the date on coins.
Gradually 1 ruble disappeared from circulation. Although the name "ruble" was used, there was practically no such coin. In principle, at that time there was practically no coins in the country, even a penny played a huge role, so it was divided into 3 parts.

Vasily Shuisky ruled only a few years and managed to issue the first gold coin, which until then had been practically absent from the state since its formation.

Imperial Russia

Peter 1 again wanted to change the monetary system of the country, starting to produce silver rubles. Also, silver coins were issued with a smaller denomination. But several decades later, Catherine II 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 has become much larger and heavier than the previous ones. So, the ruble began to weigh about one and a half kilograms. In form it resembled a quadrangle, in the corners of which the emblem of the state was depicted. They also began to issue coins with a smaller nominal value, but after a while they were abolished, because they were very uncomfortable, heavy and huge.

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

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

Paper money

The daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth, was involved in the Minich's plan, contributing to the improvement of the financial situation of the country by introducing inexpensive paper money instead of metal, as was done in Europe. But in the Senate this project was not accepted.
But Catherine II, who knew the European ways and ways of saving, decided to implement this proposal. And in the late sixties of the eighteenth century, she issued new Russian money with a par value of 100, 75, 50 and 25 rubles. People began to exchange inconvenient copper money for these, for this new banks were opened.

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

Money of the USSR

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

In the early twenties, they began to issue banknotes in denominations of 5 and 10 thousand, there was not enough small money, there was nothing to exchange large bills. Then the government decided to put into circulation the exchangeable signs, the authenticity of which was confirmed by a special stamp. Since that time, the money began to depreciate.
From the twenties, the monetary system began to strengthen, a new unit - the chervonets - appeared. Nickel coins were 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 time, the monetary system of the modern state is being reformed. But with certainty it can be said that the money of the Russian Federation has a great similarity with the money of the times of Imperial Russia.