Kings and peanuts

From the history of Russian money. About how in the early XVII century, a time of turmoil in Russia have almost legitimate lightweight penny.

Horseman on the coin
The little money the size of a silver fish scale undividedly reigned throughout Russia XVI-XVII centuries. Its thousands find many treasures in this worrying time. But riddle. Even when the mother of Ivan the Terrible - Elena Glinsky - was found from Novgorod hryvnia (204 g of silver), three-ruble coin (ie, three hundred pieces) denezhek with a rider with a spear.

Hence the name - kopeck. Weight of coins should not be less than 0.68 g, and the treasure gets peanuts 0.5 g or less. For such «art» in those days, his hands chopped off, and the throat poured molten lead. It would seem that such money should be relieved negligible, but it is not. Who is this mysterious falsifier not boyavshiysya king's wrath?


Double King
The history of this began back in half a century before the «dark time» and is not in Russia, as far to the north, where a wave of cold Baltic Sea pleschut on the rocky Swedish coast. When King Johan III was still the Duke of Finnish, he married a Polish princess Catherine Yagellon. On the one hand, this marriage has been very beneficial. He gave Sweden an ally in the fight for a piece of fat from the former possessions Levonskogo orders, on the other hand, created a situation similar to the horror at the dynastic confusion, which caused the century-old war.

Son Juhana - Zigmund, brought up his mother strong Catholic, was elected King of Poland. But Johan is dying, and Zigmund decides to fight for his father's throne. It is even willing to cede the Polish crown of the Habsburgs. This is just not worth his head. At the Sejm humiliated gentry wanted to deprive him of his throne. Through long negotiations and concessions, he was able to maintain itself and even to Poland two years later crowned King of Sweden, but to sit in two chairs (thrones) Nobody has ever accomplished.

Zigmund was forced to leave Sweden to manage his uncle Charles, announcing his regent. Carl unlike Juhana and Sigismund was very firm Protestant, of course, could not warm the souls of Swedish nobility. In the end, with the support of the people, he decided that the very good deal with royal duties. Zigmund perepoloshilsya. He landed on the Swedish coast with the Polish army. Alas, the native land is not accepted it. In the battle of Stongebro Sigizmund suffered a crushing defeat. Regent Charles became King Charles IX.

Distemper in Russia
Zigmund is not going to settle down. From 1601 to 1611 years, it is a war with Sweden for the war. He had not even raised the possibility of use to their advantage by Gregory Otrepeva. An impostor to the Russian throne is at your own risk equip the Polish magnate. It so happened that in the army Falsdmitry attracted a lot of insurgents, previously opposed Sigismund and almost crazy trip to Russia was their only opportunity to walk away luxuriant head from under the ax of royal justice.

Who could have imagined that the adventure will end dizzying success? Tsar Boris decided to hold at that time a number of reforms to create a centralized state. To sweeten the pill for the boyars and princes of the unit, he gave them to farmers at an even greater dependence. This Boris quickly lost its former popularity and gained the hatred of both.

Russian people literally handed the country impostors. Alas, not long blazhenstvoval rag on the throne. He was killed in a conspiracy Boyarsky. Basil came to the throne Shuisky. It was a desperate situation. Farmers wishing for change, did not recognize him. Moscow besieged by rebels, led by Bolotnikovym, ostensibly on behalf of miraculously escaped Falsdmitry way.

After the defeat Bolotnikova as if by magic meet the new rebels, led by new pretenders. Shuisky decided to seek the assistance of the Swedes. Russian renounced claims to Livonia and promised to give the city Korela. The Swedes have squad in 6000 under the command of Yakov Delagardi. Alas, the union with the Swedes was the fatal mistake of Russian diplomats. Zigmund, indifferently observing before the civil war in Russia, could not endure the personal intervention of the enemy. The presence of Delagardi gave him the excuse to declare war on Russia and besieged Smolensk. Under the village Клушино Russian army suffered a defeat of the royal hetman Zholkevskogo. Case of Tsar Vasily became hopelessly lost. In Moscow, raised rebellion against him. He depose and postrizhen a monk. Moscow aristocrats believe they have found a wonderful way out. They offer to send his son Sigismund Vladislava that he became a Russian king. Hetman includes troops in Moscow. They did not resist, seeing in them early warning of a new king. Financial fraud Shvedov this turn of events did not suit. From the Russian allies turn into traitors and the worst enemy nationals. The Swedes are beginning the siege of Ivan Cities Korely, they occupy Novgorod.

Zigmund at this time comes again to the old rake. An example from Sweden, has taught him nothing. He now wants to become King of both Poland and the king of Russia. Smolensk is taken, the former king is in his captivity, the Polish garrison in Moscow. Zigmund orders minted penny to his name. In these constant wars, he poizderzhalsya and therefore is to reduce the weight of pennies, overflowing the old full-fledged. Still suffering from the inflation will not Poles, but new subjects. Perhaps the financial gamble and went to, but a political demarche Russian bear could not. One thing Vladislav, which should take the orthodoxy, and became governor, to keep the laws, customs officials, at last! Another Catholic Sigizmund whose greedy pany rastaschat Russia into pieces. Here there and flew to cities and vesyam a letter from the patriarch appeals to save the faith and the Fatherland.

And the Swedes? They take several Russian cities and fortresses, waited. Swedish king is not claimed no royal title. He was confident that Russia will not tolerate the Poles. For calculations with the local population and trade, he also ordered to mint pennies, but his former ally Chekanov Shuisky. However, with all due respect to the Russian he could not resist the temptation to slightly correct financial affairs. His penny, too, came relief. A Nizhny Novgorod is also working hard to master. Kuzma Minin gathered for the organization Zemskov contributing significant funds. At the council immediately decided that the militia should be well paid.

All are tired of looting hungry armies.
But the question of what penny minted? Sigismund and Vladislava нижегородцы not recognize. Shuisky renounced - his name is a bad sign. Falsdmitry - thief, Boris - tsarevicheubiytsa. And it turned out that the latter is suitable only legitimate king - Fedor. In it there was not embarrassed, nor wars, to his happy times, all wanted to return. And so it turned out that the militia kopeck (too lightweight - yet inflation) graced the name of the deceased, thirteen years ago, Theodore.

Ilya Zverev

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The biggest coin in the world was produced in Sweden in 1644, this 10 Dallaire. It represents the rectangular copper plate weighing 19.71 kg. At the corners of Queen's printing plate prints. At the heart of another stamp and coin denomination. The coin was produced at the Queen Kristine August. The country in this period managed регентский Board of Chancellor Axel Oksenshernoy. Nice King Gustav Adolf was killed in the Battle of Lyutsene and the heir has not yet reached adulthood. The country was exhausted by 30 years of war - gold and silver coins was missing. Russia also tried to produce the square money. In 1785 copper was otchekaneny Dollar weighing 1.5 kg. Accordingly, the square poltiny, grivenniki, Pyatakov and peanuts. Innovation is not felt. Money was so inconvenient to use, that will soon be removed and perechekaneny more usual round.
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