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Polupoltina - Ekaterina I Plate money
| Issuer | Imperial Russian Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1725 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Rouble (1700-1917) |
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| Obverse description | Large square copper plate of irregular form bearing five impressed circular dies: a central denomination stamp and four corner stamps. The four corner impressions each display the imperial double-headed eagle of Russia with spread wings, holding orb and sceptre, with a shield on its breast, all within a beaded circular border. The central circular stamp bears the Cyrillic denomination legend in four lines within a plain field, surrounded by a beaded border, authenticating the monetary value of the plate. This format is characteristic of the Swedish-inspired Russian plate money coinage introduced under Peter I and continued briefly under Catherine I. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ЦЕНА ПОЛПОЛТIНЫ ЕКАТЕРIНЪ БУРХЪ 1725 |
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| Additional information |
Russian plate money — plata myedi — was a short-lived experiment borrowed directly from Sweden, where copper plates had circulated since the 1640s as a way to back currency with the metal's actual commodity value. Catherine I continued the practice begun under Peter the Great, but the system was already proving unworkable: the pieces were too heavy, too unwieldy for commerce, and too expensive to transport. The polupoltina denomination, representing one-quarter of a rouble, sat at the lighter end of the plate money range, yet still required a substantial copper slab.
Production ceased by 1727. Few entered meaningful circulation.