RUSSIAN COPPER COINAGE has always fascinated collectors, both at home and abroad, with that of the 1750s being especially interesting. Prior to 1755 the last two changes in the weight standard had been in 1730 and 1718, respectively, showing that under normal conditions the Russian Treasury made decisions about the copper coinage with very deliberate speed.
In 1755, however, the decision was made to change from the 10-ruble standard of 1730 (in which only quarter and half kopecks were struck) to one of 8 rubles. The new standard meant that 800 one-kopeck coins were to be struck from a pood (16.38 kg) of copper. It proved to be the heaviest weight standard for copper coinage in Russian numismatic history.
The new weight standard was meant to do two things, but most of all the intention was to rid the country of the old 5-kopeck coins struck under the standard of 1718 (40 rubles to the pood). These krestoviks, as they were called by the public after the cross-shaped reverse design, were grossly overvalued once the 10-ruble standard of 1730 took effect. Moreover, foreign counterfeiters had taken advantage of the situation.
The krestoviks, which are also called piataks (a general name for 5-kopeck copper coins), had been devalued down to 2 kopecks in the
