Even in the pre-Mongol period, in the XI century, the Kiev princes began to issue coins of their own minting. Known money Svyatopolk, Vladimir I and Yaroslav. The fact is that at that time the tide of foreign coins decreased. But as the need for money grew, the princes began to make their own from the accumulated metal. True, all these coins were issued in small quantities and not for long.
Russian ruble : the process of birth
It appeared in the XIII century and looked like an elongated block of silver weighing no more than 200 grams, roughly chopped off the ends. This is known from the annals and birch bark letters. In some sources, the ruble is called chopped hryvnia, and that's why. First, a narrow elongated ingot of silver was poured, and then with the help of a chisel they chopped it into pieces - hryvnias. Their weight was within 200 grams. These received hryvnia ingots were called ruble, or simply rubles. Some scholars explain the origin of the word differently. He believes that it originates from the name of the monetary unit of India - "rupees", which in translation means "cattle". This is hardly a true statement.
Lance money
The silver ruble was used to make small coins. To do this, the hryvnia was stretched into wire and divided into pieces. Each of them was then flattened and minted coins. In Moscow, 200 rubles came out of the ruble, and in Novgorod 16 more. During the reign of mother of Ivan the Terrible, Elena Glinsky, the princes could no longer mint their own coins on their own. A monetary system was created that was uniform for the entire great state. Coins were now minted in accordance with strict rules. The prototype of the usual cents for us was irregularly shaped silver money with the image of a horseman with a spear. The year of issue on Russian coins began to set only from the time of Tsar Fedor Ivanovich.
Russian silver ruble : the mystery of extinction
A study of the history of the world shows that before the appearance of coins, the role of money was played by ingots. But in Russia - on the contrary. For several centuries, money was in use, and suddenly, bullion again. It seems unbelievable, but true. Certain historical events prevented the further development of this monetary form in Russia. It turns out that in the XII-XIII centuries, the previously united lands again fell apart into several principalities. Accordingly, the
minting of a coin, the same for the whole country, also stopped. As money, pieces of silver began to be used again. The only difference was that now they had a clearly defined weight and shape.
Russian silver ruble : return
Gradually, both bullion and yefimki disappeared from circulation. Money in Russia continued to be counted in rubles, but coins as such did not exist. The ruble was only a conventional unit of account. Under Peter I, silver pennies and half a penny were in circulation. There were not enough coins, especially small ones. The penny at that time was of such value that it was not exchanged, but chopped into 2-3 parts. Each of them was in circulation independently. By decree of Peter I, the Russian silver ruble in the form of a coin was first made in 1704. On one side of it was an engraved portrait of the reigning king and a signature, and on the other, a two-headed eagle and a date of issue. In 1769, paper notes were introduced, and the silver ruble ceased to be the main monetary unit. But at the same time, he did not lose his significance as an additional one. And in 1840, banknotes were abolished, and the Russian silver ruble again became the main currency in the country. In this role, he existed until 1897, when, as a result of the reform, Witte also abolished it.