Catalog
10 Pennia - Aleksandr II Pattern
| Issuer | Finland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the crowned and interlaced cyrillic monogram of Tsar Alexander II (A II) in an elaborate calligraphic style, surmounted by an Imperial Russian crown. Decorative foliate or scroll elements flank the monogram on either side. The design is contained within a beaded border running along the coin's periphery. The overall composition reflects the Imperial Russian aesthetic characteristic of Finnish coinage struck under Russian sovereignty. |
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| Reverse description | The denomination '10 PENNIÄ' is inscribed in two lines across the upper central field, with the date '1863' positioned immediately below. The numeral and legend are framed by symmetrical laurel or oak branches curving upward from the base to form a wreath-like border around the inscriptions. A beaded border encircles the entire reverse design. The composition is clean and heraldic, typical of mid-nineteenth century European coinage design. |
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| Additional information |
This is one of several pattern pieces struck in 1863 as Finland established its own coinage under the monetary reforms initiated by Alexander II, who had convened the Finnish Diet that same year for the first time since 1809. The decision to grant Finland a separate currency — the markka system — was a deliberate political concession, part of Alexander's broader strategy of managing Finnish autonomy within the Russian Empire without triggering the nationalist pressures then destabilizing other parts of his realm.
KM#Pn3 documents this as a pattern, meaning it never reached circulation; the copper 10 pennia that eventually circulated differed in specification.