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 with the history of the coin. Several available. Different color paper.
These silver kopeks were issued during the 32-year reign of Michael Fyodorovich Romanov, the first Russian Tsar from the House of Romanov, who reigned from 1613-1645. The irregularly-shaped coins were struck by taking silver wire, cutting pieces down to the proper weight, and hand-hammered between dies. Wire money appeared in Russia in the middle of the 14th century and became the country's 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 (the Terrible), a monetary reform 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 the Denga. 1 Kopek = 2 Dengas = 4 Polushkas. And finally, 100 Kopeks = 1 Ruble. Wire money was retired in 1718.
