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2 Kopecks - Elizabeth value under horseman, lettered edge
| Issuer | Russian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1757-1760 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 3.30 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central cipher of Empress Elizabeth I (Елизавета Петровна), formed by the interlaced Cyrillic initials ЕР (Elizaveta, Empress of Russia), surmounted by an imperial crown. The monogram is flanked by laurel and palm branches forming a wreath, with the date split across the lower field to either side of the cipher. The overall design is executed in a bold baroque style typical of mid-18th century Russian imperial coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 17 58 |
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| Additional information |
Elizabeth's copper recoinage of the 1750s was driven by a straightforward fiscal calculation: the existing copper coins were undervalued relative to their metal content, creating chronic shortages as merchants melted them for profit. The Senate's solution was to reduce the copper norm from 8 rubles per pud to 16 rubles per pud, effectively halving the metal in each denomination — but the transition was chaotic, producing overlapping types with differing edge treatments and value placements that catalogers still argue over.
The lettered edge on this type was applied by a separate edge-marking machine before striking, a process inherited from earlier Petrine-era practice. Misaligned edge lettering is common on survivors.