Poltina - Elizabeth СПБ

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.