Poltina - Elizabeth СПБ

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.