If you do not know what to visit in the Northern capital, then go to the Mint of St. Petersburg with a guided tour. And our article will tell you why this place is worth a visit!
Mint Opening
In 1724, Peter I issued a decree to substantiate a mint in the Northern capital. The bookmark was planned by the emperor in 1720. On the last day of February 1721, the sovereign exclaimed that gold coins should be issued in St. Petersburg. It was understandable why! Indeed, from Moscow, the capital has moved to a city on the Neva.
The Mint of St. Petersburg, like other designs of Peter I, was supposed to be an exemplary enterprise. For this, the Russian state ordered machine tools and presses in the city of Nuremberg, which at that time was considered a center for the production of coins.
So in 1724, the production of coins began in the Trubetskoy bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
Money production under Peter I
At first, banknotes were made in small quantities. Gold coins were minted there. And only after 30 years, the mint of St. Petersburg began to issue silver coins. Thanks to high-quality German equipment, the St. Petersburg Mint has become one of the leading industries in this field. But Peter I did not stop there.
In 1746, he opens a laboratory at the courtyard, where the craftsmen share noble metals. This decision helped to overcome Russia's dependence on imports of precious metals! It turns out that our state at that time purchased not only gold and silver, but also copper from neighboring countries.
Renovation
At the end of the XVIII century, not only increased cash flow, but also the issue of coins. For the year, the Mint of St. Petersburg issued about 100,000 rubles. And every day the need for coins increased, but there was no longer any opportunity to produce!
The yard needed technological re-equipment and expansion of premises, because the Trubetskoy bastion no longer contained the necessary equipment.
The new building was not long in coming. In 1807, the Mint of St. Petersburg celebrated a housewarming party in the new building of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
In the XIX century, the minted factory of St. Petersburg was a huge enterprise, where a large number of full-time craftsmen worked. By this time, the production area of the yard was more than 7000 m 2 !
The difficulties of the twentieth century
This period was characterized by difficult and terrible trials not only for people, but also for the mint of St. Petersburg. As a result of World War I, the authorities decide to evacuate the plant. All equipment and other auxiliary tools, as well as raw materials are urgently transferred to Yekaterinburg and other nearby cities.
So, in January 1918, the St. Petersburg minted plant stopped production activities.
After 4 years, namely in 1922, work in the production premises of the courtyard again began to boil! This meant preparing for monetary reform in Soviet Russia. In the same period, the plant was renamed Leningradsky, as the city also received a new name.
In the pre-war era, the Leningrad Money Yard is a powerful enterprise, included in the list of the largest industries in Europe. The range of products expanded over time, the quality improved every year, and quantitative indicators reached unprecedented heights.
During the war, the mint of St. Petersburg was evacuated to Krasnokamsk. The Goznak paper mill in its territories sheltered LMD. By order of the Finance Committee of the Soviet Union, the mint was included in this association.
Our days
In 2004, jewelry production began on the territory of the mint. Imported equipment was purchased, the necessary raw materials for products were imported.
Masters custom-make both ordinary rings and complex brooches. Today, the enterprise of the plant is equipped with the latest production and technology! Experienced and talented craftsmen make products of varying complexity and configuration.
On money, the mint of St. Petersburg signs printed these: SPB, SPM, SP, SM, L, LMD. Since 1997, coins with the sign of SPMD began to be minted.