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Kopeck - Alexey Mikhailovich Copper, Moscow
| Issuer | Imperial Russian Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1654-1663 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Obverse of this irregularly shaped hammered wire kopeck depicts a mounted tsar or warrior figure in traditional Russian style, shown in profile riding a horse to the right, rendered in low relief with the crude but vigorous strike characteristic of mid-17th century Russian wire money. The design is partially obscured by the irregular flan shape and striking imperfections inherent to the hammered wire technique. The field is rough and uneven, bearing the typical patina of a circulated copper issue from the reign of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich. |
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| Reverse description | Reverse bears a multi-line Cyrillic legend distributed across the irregularly shaped flan, reading the full royal titulature of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich in abbreviated form. The inscription, struck in low relief, identifies the issuer as Tsar and Grand Prince of All Rus, arranged in several lines conforming to the elongated wire-cut planchet. The mint mark 'MO' (for Moscow) appears within or adjacent to the legend, as was standard practice for the Old Mint at Moscow during this period. The surfaces display characteristic hammer-strike irregularities and natural copper patination consistent with circulation wear. |
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| Additional information |
These copper kopecks were struck as part of a disastrous monetary experiment by Tsar Alexis — the government needed to fund the ongoing war with Poland and began paying soldiers and officials in copper coins legally mandated to circulate at the value of silver. The population accepted copper for taxes reluctantly and not at all for grain, which vanished from markets almost immediately. By 1662 the exchange rate had collapsed to twenty-five copper kopecks per silver one, and the resulting Copper Riot in Moscow that summer left hundreds dead in the streets before the tsar personally promised reform. The copper coinage was demonetized and withdrawn in 1663.