Russian money did not appear immediately with the emergence of the state of the Eastern Slavs. The commodity-money system in the state developed quite slowly and steadily. The article will consider the history of the appearance of money in Russia, the process of changing their type, converting coins into banknotes and the development of economic relations in the country.
First money
In the 9th century, when the state of Russia only appeared on the maps, marten skins were money on its territory, they later became known as kuns. In the north of Russia there was a huge number of forests inhabited by fur-bearing animals that were not in Byzantium, therefore Byzantine merchants bought fur from the Rus. So on the territory of the old Russian state got gold coins, which began to be called goldilocks. Later, silver coins minted from silver appeared. The appearance of these coins occurred during the baptism of Rus, when the connection between Byzantium and Rus was noticeably strengthened. 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 "non-coin." When Russia broke up into 15 specific principalities, coinage stopped, 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 bullion, which at that time replaced coins.
The emergence 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 situation and culture, so this period is also eternal competition between destinies. So, in Novgorod in the 13th century they began to mint 1 ruble. 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, smaller coins at face value were obtained from this coin. Each principality had completely different money resources. This situation continued until they merged into a centralized state.
Moscow Russia
At the end of the reign of Ivan 3, when he had almost completed the process of unification of the principalities, Russian money was again minted according to a single principle and system. This continued during the reign of his son Vasily 3. But when his mother Elena Glinskaya became regent under the infancy of Ivan 4, she decided to reform the state’s monetary system to make it unified, and established patterns by which coins should be minted. There were 2 coins in total, both of them were minted from silver. On one of them, which had a smaller denomination, a horseman holding a sword was depicted. Therefore, they received the name "sword". On other coins, which had a higher denomination, the same horseman was depicted, but in his hands was a spear. This Russian money was called "lance". Tsar Fedor Ivanovich was the first to knock out the date on coins.
Gradually 1 ruble disappeared from circulation. Although the name “ruble” was used, such a coin practically no longer existed. In principle, at that time there were 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 before that had practically not been in the state since its inception.
Imperial Russia
Peter 1 again wanted to change the country's monetary system, starting to issue silver rubles. Also, silver coins began to be issued at a lower denomination. But a few decades later, Catherine 2 decided to replace these coins with bronze, as 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 shape, it resembled a quadrangle, in the corners of which the emblem of the state was depicted. They also began to issue coins with a lower denomination, but after some time they were abolished, as they were very uncomfortable, heavy and huge.
The daughter of Peter 1, Elizabeth, issued a ten-ruble coin, it was called imperial, 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 main unit of which was the ruble. But gold it was called only conditionally, it contained only a particle of precious metal. Silver coins, imperial and semi-imperial also continued to be minted.
Paper money
The daughter of Peter 1, Elizabeth, was involved in the plan of Minich, which helps to improve the financial situation of the country by introducing inexpensive paper money instead of metal money, as was done in Europe. But the Senate did not accept this project.
But Catherine II, who knew the European order and ways of saving, decided to put this proposal into practice. And in the late sixties of the eighteenth century, it issued new Russian money in denominations of 100, 75, 50 and 25 rubles. People began to exchange uncomfortable copper money for these, new banks were opened for this.
Incidentally, these bills were called bank notes. But they began to gradually depreciate, as their number grew every year.
USSR money
During the First World War, an intensive release of paper money began, even copper coins disappeared from circulation. Also, money has become much easier to fake, counterfeiters have appeared in the country.
In the early twenties, they began to produce banknotes in denominations of 5 and 10 thousand, small money was not enough, there was nothing to exchange large banknotes. Then the government decided to put in circulation bargaining chips, the authenticity of which was confirmed by a special stamp. Since that time, money began to depreciate.
Since the twenties, the monetary system began to strengthen, a new unit appeared - the chervonets. 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, the reform of the monetary system of the modern state continues. But with confidence we can say that the money of the Russian Federation has a huge resemblance to the money of the times of Imperial Russia.