Product Description
Silver Wire Money from the reign of Tsar Michael of Russia (1596-1645). Genuine Russian Imperial silver currency. each struck over 350 years ago! Come as shown attached to 4"x5" random color paper with the history of the coin. Several available.
Silver kopeks were issued during the 32-year reign of Michael Fyodorovich Romanov. He was the first Russian Tsar from the House of Romanov and reigned from 1613-1645. The irregularly shaped coins were struck by taking silver wire, cutting pieces down to the proper weight, and hammered between dies. Wire money appeared in Russia in the middle of the 14th century and became official currency. From 1462 the hammered coins, named dengas, had an image of a horseman on the obverse and the Tsar's name and titles on the reverse in old Russian script. In 1535, during the reign of Ivan IV (Terrible), a monetary reform occurred which added a spear and crown to the horseman's image. The Russian word for spear is Копье (kop'yo) and the coin was called a Копейка (kopek).
Two smaller denomintions were also standardized: a Polushka and a Denga. 1 Kopek = 2 Dengas = 4 Polushkas. And finally, 100 Kopeks = 1 Ruble. Wire money was retired in 1718.
