Kyiv hryvnias of the xi xiii centuries. The very first money - the ancient hryvnia or the old hryvnia of Russia

Zlatnik(or spool) - an ancient Russian coin, minted in the X-XI centuries. shortly after the Baptism of Russia. The real name is unknown, the term "zlatnik" is found in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of the Prophetic Oleg, and is used in numismatics.
* on the obverse - Vladimir, on the reverse - Christ.

Srebrenik(or silversmith) - an ancient Russian coin of the 10th-11th centuries. The first pieces of silver repeated the type of Byzantine coins (obverse - prince, reverse - Christ). Soon the image of Christ was replaced by the generic sign of the Ruriks - a bident. It resembles an inverted letter "P", to which "shoots" were added from below or in the middle, as well as dots and crosses.
* reverse - bident, surmounted by a symmetrical cross.

In the 12th century, the "coinless period" began in Russia. The minting of ancient Russian coins ceased, foreign coins also practically disappeared from circulation. Since with the establishment of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, gold and silver began to be brought from Europe to Russia in huge quantities. The main function of money becomes - accumulation: creation of the country's gold reserves and personal savings, treasures. Commodities and large "non-changeable" silver ingots (hryvnia and ruble) became the form of money circulation.

Hryvnia, ruble, half

- precious metal ingot. It comes from the name of the ornament "hryvnia" - a gold or silver ornament in the form of a hoop, which was worn around the neck (on the "nape"). Over time, the word acquired a new meaning, began to correspond to a certain weight of valuable metal. Appeared weight ( silver hryvnia) and counting unit ( hryvnia kuna), which corresponded to a certain number of identical coins.

The weighted and counting hryvnia became payment and monetary concepts in Russia.

In the 11th century, hexagonal Kyiv hryvnias and Novgorod hryvnias - silver sticks - were in circulation. From the 13th century, along with the name "hryvnia", the name "ruble" began to be used.

The ruble is an ingot of a precious metal. The etymology of the word is disputed. There is a version that the “ruble” comes from the word “rubec”, since in Novgorod from the 13th century they began to prepare ingots using a new technology with a noticeable seam on the edge. "Rub" in Ukrainian, Belarusian means a scar, in Serbo-Croatian - a seam, a border. Those. the ruble is "an ingot with a seam".

Simultaneously with the ruble, a half appeared.
Poltina(or fifty dollars) - half of a chopped ingot.

In the XIV century, the "coinless period" ended. Ingots "hryvnia" and "ruble" ceased to be monetary units; The hryvnia became a weight unit, and the ruble became a unit of account. From the silver hryvnia (204 grams) 200 coins were minted, which amounted to a counting ruble (the ruble did not exist as a coin). Small silver coins (money) become real monetary units.

Denga, penny, half

Denga(from Turk. täŋkä - coin) - Russian silver coin. Mostly minted "moskovki" (Moscow denga) and "Novgorodki" (Novgorod denga), and the Novgorodka was twice as heavy and equal to two Muscovites.
On the obverse of the Muscovite, a horseman with a saber was depicted, and on the obverse of the Novgorod woman, a horseman with a spear, so soon the Novgorod denga was called “penny”, and the Moscow one was simply “denga”.

penny(obsolete spear coin) - comes from the word "spear" (a rider with a spear was depicted on Novgorod). Only not George the Victorious, but the sovereign, it used to be customary to depict princes on money.
* Since the weight of the "penny" was equal to 1/100 of the ruble, it became more widespread. For large purchases, kopecks were packaged in a paper wrapper in 100 pieces (ruble).

Polushka(or poludenga) - a silver coin in denominations of half a dengi and a quarter of a kopeck (the weight of a half 0.17g, 0.34g dengi, 0.68g kopecks).

ONE STANDARD:
At first, coins of various types and weights were minted in different principalities, so in the 16th century they left 3 money yards and introduced a single standard:
Kopeck (horseman with a spear);
Denga (saber rider) = 1/2 penny;
Polushka (bird) = 1/4 kopeck.

COUNTING UNITS:
Ruble \u003d 100 kopecks (or 200 money);
Half a penny \u003d 50 kopecks;
Hryvnia \u003d 10 kopecks;
Altyn = 3 kopecks.

Altyn(from the Turkic alty - six) - the counting altyn was equal to 6 Moscow (saber) dengs or 3 Novgorod (spear) dengs. Altyn was an intermediate unit during the transition from the Russian monetary system, with the beginnings of a decimal system to a duodecimal one.
3 rubles = 100 altyns;
1 ruble = 33 altyns + 2 dengi.

Kopek in the 16th century. The craftsman received 40 kopecks a month; carpenter, bricklayer - 15 kopecks / month. A cow cost - 80 kopecks, a chicken - 1 kopeck.

Therefore, the ancient hryvnia kun (countable) and the silver hryvnia (weight) on the territory of the Old Russian state became a means of payment, the very first money in Russia was formed -.

At first, the weight of one and the other hryvnia was the same. However, due to the unstable weight of various foreign coins and the change in the status of the hryvnia itself as a weight unit, the silver hryvnia began to include several hryvnia kunas.

So, for example, a hryvnia of silver (weight 204 grams) in the 12th century was equal in value to four hryvnia-kunas (weight 51 grams). In turn, the hryvnia-kun consisted of a certain number of smaller coins (units of account). In the 11th century, the hryvnia-kun consisted of 20 nogats = 25 kunas = 50 rez, and in the 12th century the hryvnia-kun was equal to 20 nogats or 50 kuns. Within one century, the value of the kuna has halved.

When in Russia they had not yet learned how to make the very first minted money “zlatnik” and “silver coin”, and the receipt of coins from other foreign states stopped. Then the ancient grivnas were formed, which became the main form of money circulation in the territory of Russia. These were irreplaceable ingots of silver (the old hryvnia of Russia). Now they are confidently called the very first money - the ancient grivnas of Russia. In the history of Russian money circulation, this period began to be called coinless. This period lasted from the XII to the XIV century.

Starting from the 11th century, on the territory of Kievan Rus, “ancient Kyiv hryvnias” had a hexagonal shape and a weight of 163-164 grams. Before the Mongol-Tatar invasion, such hryvnias served as a means of calculation and a means of accumulation. However, an even more important place in the money circulation of Russia was played by the “old Novgorod hryvnia of Russia.” It was they, as the very first money, that began to circulate first in the north-west of Russia, and then, until the middle of the 13th century, spread throughout its entire territory of Kievan Rus.

In shape, they were long silver sticks weighing about 240 grams. As a transitional option, between the Novgorod and Kyiv hryvnias, it was. She was like in weight, and in shape like Kyiv.

Tatar hryvnias are also known, which were often found on the territory of the Volga region along with Tatar coins that were clinked in the 14th century. They were shaped like a boat. Another variety of these ancient silver ingots is very interesting and unusual -.

How the ancient hryvnia formed the ruble and why the very first money is the old hryvnia of Russia

The ratio of the ruble and the hryvnia in different sources is interpreted differently. In the book “The Gray-haired Antiquity of Moscow”, which was published in 1893, I.K. Kondratiev explains that the rubles were pieces of silver with notches that indicated their weight or parts of the hryvnia. Each hryvnia consisted of four parts. The silver hryvnia had the shape of a rod, which was cut into 4 parts, and the name ruble most likely comes from the meaning “to cut”.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia explained that the old grivnas were cut in half and each part was called the ruble. There is also a version that a silver bar called "ruble" weighed the same as a silver bar called "hryvnia". However, the ruble, unlike the ancient hryvnia, was made using other technologies and had a seam on the edge.

Studying the very first money, it is necessary to clarify the meaning of words. In Belarusian, Ukrainian and Polish, the word "rub" meant a scar, and in Serbian - a border or a seam. Therefore, the word ruble can be interpreted as "an ingot with a seam." With the onset of the 15th century, ancient hryvnia ingots as payment units ceased to satisfy the commodity-money system, as coinage increased. Since that time, the ruble has firmly entered as the concept of a monetary unit, and over time it has become the main unit of the established Russian monetary system. The ancient hryvnia of Russia was losing its relevance.

As a unit of weight, the hryvnia continued to exist, its weight was equal to 204.75 grams, until it was replaced by a pound in the 18th century (the hryvnia was equal to half a pound). As a unit of weight, the hryvnia was divided into 48 spools (the mass of each spool is 4.26 grams), the spool was divided into 25 kidneys (the mass of a kidney is 0.17 grams). The weight of 204 grams became the standard for minting the Russian coin stack.

In various historical eras, the term "hryvnia" was used to refer to coins made of copper of various denominations, as well as silver.

And today we can say with confidence that the ancient grivnas, or as they are also called the old grivna of Russia, are the most

Coins of a modern walker- these are the coins with which we pay every day in stores and which are in your wallets. They do not include commemorative coins.

First modern walker came into circulation in January 1998. The new coins were in denominations of 1 kopeck, 5 kopecks made of steel with cupronickel coating with the image of St. George the Victorious; 10 kopecks, 50 kopecks made of copper-zinc alloy with the image of St. George the Victorious; 1 ruble, 2 rubles from a copper-nickel alloy with the image of a double-headed eagle; 5 rubles made of cupronickel plated copper with the image of a double-headed eagle.

Coins were minted at two mints - at the Moscow Mint (MMD) and the St. Petersburg Mint (SPMD). The mintmark is located under the hoof of the horse of St. George the Victorious, and under the paw of the eagle on the obverse of the coin.

Coins of the modern walker with a face value of 5 rubles ceased to be minted in 1999 and were resumed only in 2008, 2 rubles in 2000 were resumed in 2006, and 1 ruble in 2000 was resumed in 2005. Although in 2003 they minted 1 ruble, 2 rubles, 5 rubles with a circulation of 15,000 copies for sets of coins, but for some reason these sets were not released, and the coins were put into circulation. In 2002, the above-mentioned coins for sets were also minted and they were not officially in circulation. Although they can still be caught in circulation, because. There were fewer sets produced than minted.

In 2006, coins of 10 kopecks and 50 kopecks began to be minted from steel with plated brass, and in 2009 they began to issue 1 ruble, 2 rubles, 5 rubles minted from steel.

In 2009, the issue of coins of 10 rubles made of a magnetic alloy began, and in 2010 they officially stopped minting 1 kopeck and 5 kopecks.

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Photos of coins of a modern walker - New coins made of steel.

Photos of coins - a modern walker.

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 solidi: on the front side was depicted a prince sitting on a throne, and on the back - Pantokrator, i.e. Jesus Christ. Soon, the silver money was redesigned: instead of the face of Christ, the Rurik family sign, the trident, 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 quite a 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 weighty. 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 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 meadows, northerners and Vyatichi: a coin or a squirrel “from the smoke” (at home). To save up for a hryvnia, an ancient Russian person would need 150 vekshas.

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

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 the 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".