Siberian coin: riddles and secrets

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Ancient coins are not only an object of interest for numismatists, they are part of human culture. And some are also unique because they are historical artifacts that hide many secrets. These include the Siberian coin.

General information

This copper money was issued during the reign of Catherine II for a relatively short time - from 1763 to 1781 - and circulated exclusively on the territory of the Siberian province, which at that time was officially called the Kingdom of Siberia. These coins were minted from copper mined at the Kolyvan mine, owned by the Demidovs. But they were not produced there, but at a specially built plant on the Nizhny Suzun River.

The Siberian coin, which had six denominations (polushka, money, kopeck, 2, 5 and 10 kopecks), is very different from similar copper money that was in circulation at that time in the Russian Empire.

Distinguishing Features

Firstly, in appearance, the Siberian coin did not at all correspond to the then accepted standards. On its obverse, instead of the double-headed eagle of the Russian Empire, severala simplified, incomplete coat of arms of the Siberian kingdom: two sables standing on their hind legs, holding a shield with the designation of the denomination and date of issue. Above the shield is a crown (but not the Russian imperial one), and around the circle there is an inscription: “Siberian coin”.

The reverse is more in line with the usual - on it is Catherine's monogram with the Latin numeral II surrounded by a wreath. True, the traditional laurel branches are complemented by spruce branches. And one more detail: under the monogram the letters "K" and "M" - "Kolvan copper".

Secondly, Siberian copper coins are lighter than those of the same denomination all-Russian ones. This is explained (at least according to the official version) by the composition of the Kolyvan copper, in which silver was present (therefore it was more expensive), and therefore the coins are lighter. If small things worth 16 rubles were minted from a pood of ordinary copper, then from Kolyvan copper - for 25 rubles.

Thirdly, the coin has a corrugated, or, as numismatists say, corded, edge, characteristic at that time exclusively for silver money. In 1763 and 1764 samples were produced even with an inscription on the edge, which is quite surprising for copper.

This is how the Siberian penny coin looked like.

History of the coin: official version

To understand what is the reason for such a strange appearance of Kolyvan, more precisely, Suzun coins, let's turn to history. According to the official version, there were two reasons for the start of issuing Siberian money.

Firstly, the Kolyvan plants accumulated a significant stock of copper, which remained after the smelting of silver from copper ore. Due to shortcomingstechnological process in these "waste" there was still a significant percentage of the precious metal. And Catherine II submitted a report with a proposal to mint money from this copper.

Secondly, it was unprofitable to transport this raw material to the St. Petersburg and even Yekaterinburg coin factories, as well as to supply ready-made coins to Siberia. It was easier to organize coinage on the spot. In this regard, Empress Catherine II signed a decree on the issue of Siberian coins in November 1763.

It would seem that everything is logical. But in this version, there is no explanation for either the strange appearance of copper money, or the short time they were minted.

Secrets of copper coins

The first of the mysteries lies in the very history of the Russian Empire of those times. The Siberian coin was issued exactly during the period of the Siberian kingdom, which existed from 1764 to 1782. It was then that the Siberian province was renamed by imperial decree into a kingdom with the right to mint its own money. So, perhaps, it's not the excess of copper and the high cost of its transportation, but precisely this? But the reason that prompted Empress Catherine to grant such rights to the Kingdom of Siberia, and then - less than 20 years later - to abolish it, is still unknown. Since 1782, the mint on Nizhny Suzun has already issued ordinary copper coins that circulated throughout the Russian Empire.

The second of the mysteries is connected with the weight of Kolyvan banknotes. According to the official version, the composition of copper was the reason for the lower weight. But modern researchers, for example, I. G. Spassky, are convinced that the Siberianthe coin does not contain silver and does not differ in composition from those issued in St. Petersburg. Moreover, the first samples of 1763-1764 were minted there.

The reason for limiting the circulation of coins exclusively to the territory of Siberia (from the Irtysh to Kamchatka) is also unclear, although it is known that they were widely used in trade with Asian countries. And if we accept the official version of the special composition of copper as true, then the Siberian coin would also be attractive to business people in the center of Russia. A lot of this money was minted over 18 years - more than 3.5 million rubles.

Silver Siberian money: authentic or fake?

Despite the fact that the Siberian coin was minted from copper, there are persistent rumors among numismatists about the existence of Siberian silver money. Silver coins in denominations of 10 and 20 kopecks are found among collectors who are convinced of their authenticity, photographs of such samples can also be seen on numerous information resources on the relevant subject.

What did the silver Siberian coin look like? A photo showing its reverse and obverse is presented below.

However, researchers consider these coins to be fakes, since there are no historical documents on the existence of silver Siberian money. And there was no point in issuing them, if one of the goals of minting was the need to use the copper accumulated at the Kolyvan plant.

Therefore, according to experts, Siberian silver coins that impress collectors are a remake. AThistory, there was not even a project for their minting.