Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
Poltina - Elizabeth СПБ
| Issuer | Imperial Russian Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1743-1751 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Cyrillic |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The imperial Russian double-headed eagle displayed at center, crowned with a single large imperial crown above both heads, wings spread and detailed with fine feather engraving. The eagle's breast bears an escutcheon depicting the St. George and dragon motif. The eagle's dexter talon holds a scepter and the sinister talon holds an orb. The date appears to the left of the eagle and the denomination legend МОНЕТА ПОЛТИНА is distributed around the field, with a dot-separated circular legend along the rim. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The poltina — half a ruble — had an awkward history under Elizabeth Petrovna. Her father Peter I had largely abandoned the denomination, and its revival in the 1740s was partly administrative convenience as Russia's monetary system was rationalized following the chaos of the succession crises after Peter's death in 1725. The St. Petersburg mint received its SPB mark formally during this period, distinguishing its output from Moscow's MMD coinage at a time when both facilities were striking silver concurrently under sometimes inconsistent supervision.
The .802 fineness reflects a deliberate debasement from earlier Petrine standards — a quiet fiscal decision that passed without formal public announcement.