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Poltina - Elizabeth СПБ
| Issuer | St. Petersburg Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1742-1745 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing draped bust of Empress Elizabeth I, wearing an imperial crown adorned with a cross, her hair elaborately coiffed in the baroque style fashionable at the Russian court. The effigy occupies the centre of the field, with the mint mark СПБ (St. Petersburg) positioned below the truncation. A Cyrillic legend encircles the portrait, reading the empress's full imperial title, separated by ornamental stops. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Cyrillic |
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| Additional information |
Elizabeth came to power in a palace coup in December 1741, overthrowing the infant Ivan VI, and her early coinage reflects the scramble to establish a new monetary identity for the reign. The St. Petersburg Mint was working through transition dies well into 1743, and this poltina type — half a ruble — saw production across four calendar years with meaningful variation in die workmanship between them.
C#18.2 distinguishes this by mint mark. The .802 fineness was inherited from Petrine-era standards rather than freshly legislated, a continuity that masked how politically discontinuous the accession actually was.