Catalog
Pulo - Boris Konstantinovich Gorodets
| Issuer | Grand Principality of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1355-1393 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| 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 | Irregular |
| 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 | Central field displays a stylized frontal bust or head rendered in crude, deeply struck relief, characteristic of medieval Russian hammered copper coinage. The figure appears helmeted or crowned, with simplified facial features and broad shoulders visible beneath a horizontal line suggesting a garment or armor. The design occupies the majority of the flan, with the irregular coin edge cutting into the design periphery. The artistic execution is typical of 14th-century Nizhny Novgorod mint work, with bold, schematic forms rather than fine detail. No legible legend is present on this side. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse field presents a crudely rendered quadruped animal, likely a lion or horse, depicted in profile facing right in a walking or rearing posture, executed in the simplified, schematic style typical of medieval Russian pulo coinage. Two pellets or dots are visible in the lower field, serving as decorative or separating elements. The design is contained within the irregular, flan with no formal border. The overall composition reflects the rudimentary die-cutting techniques employed in the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality during the late 14th century. No legible inscription is apparent. |
| 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 |
Boris Konstantinovich ruled Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal during one of the more turbulent stretches of the Golden Horde's fragmentation, when tribute obligations and succession disputes made independent coinage both a political statement and a practical necessity. The pulo was the lowest denomination in the medieval Russian copper hierarchy, used for small market transactions where silver wire money — the dominant currency — was simply too valuable to cut small enough.
The principality itself was absorbed by Moscow in 1392, a year before Boris died, leaving his final issues circulating under a ruler who no longer held his throne.