The Coinage of Russia 1755-1757

ONE OF THE most interesting series of copper coins struck in Imperial Russia is the Baroque kopecks of 1755–1757. Their size and beauty have long made them a favorite of collectors, both in Russia and abroad. The road to this special coinage was a long one, however, and began several centuries before.

During the 15th century several Russian city-states issued small coins of copper called puls, but after the early 1500s these ceased to be issued, perhaps because of the ease of counterfeiting. It was not until the mid–1650s that the copper was again used on a regular basis in Russia.

War with Poland had erupted in 1654 and the cost of funding this conflict was very great. The government began issuing copper coins in place of the silver. By 1662 the numbers of these coins in circulation had become so great that inflation was out of control and the public was demanding a return to the old silver coinage.

After a terrible riot in which hundreds were killed, the government abandoned copper coinage in 1663. It was called in and replaced with silver kopecks, although the public again suffered by the exchange rate, which was about 8 copper kopecks for one silver kopeck. For decades, no Russian government