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Denga - Ivan IV ДЕ
| Issuer | Moscow Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1547-1584 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Rouble (1533-1717) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A mounted horseman depicted in right profile, galloping at speed while brandishing a raised sabre, rendered in the characteristic wire money style with bold, simplified strokes. The rider and horse are shown in dynamic motion, typical of the Muscovite equestrian coinage tradition established under Ivan IV. The Cyrillic letters ДЕ appear beneath the hooves of the horse in the lower field, serving as a mint or engraver's mark. The design is struck on an irregularly shaped planchet cut from a flattened silver wire, resulting in a naturally uneven flan with the design partially visible. The overall relief is shallow but well-defined within the constraints of the hammered wire coinage technique. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Cyrillic |
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| Additional information |
Ivan IV — Ivan the Terrible — centralized Russian coinage aggressively during his reign, suppressing regional mints and consolidating production under Moscow's authority following his formal coronation as Tsar in 1547. The denga was the workhorse denomination of Muscovite commerce, struck by hand on irregular wire-cut planchets using a technique that made precise centering essentially impossible. Most examples show partial legends and off-center dies — not a flaw of this particular piece, but an inherent consequence of the production method across the entire series.
Ivan's monetary reforms of the 1530s, initiated under his mother Elena Glinskaya as regent, had already standardized weight norms before he came to power. The ДЕ designation on this piece indicates the mint official responsible for the issue.