Srebrennik - Vladimir the Great type II/III

The srebrennik was struck under Vladimir Svyatoslavich in the decades following his 988 conversion to Orthodox Christianity — a political realignment with Byzantium that almost certainly explains why the coin exists at all. Vladimir needed coinage that functioned as dynastic propaganda as much as a medium of exchange, and the Byzantine solidus was his direct formal model. Most examples show significant die-to-die variation, reflecting decentralized and experimental production rather than a mature mint operation.

Surviving pieces are rare by any measure. Hoards have turned up primarily along trade routes through modern Ukraine, and many excavated examples show little wear — suggesting limited actual circulation rather than prestige retention.