Up to the last penny ... Bashny.Net

11 Picchu with letters via NewTimes

The central bank has long insisted that it is necessary to stop minting small coins in one and two cents. This year, the bank's proposal formally endorsed the Duma Committee on Financial Markets. The reason is simple - in the coinage of their nominal cost more. For example, on the issue of spent penny with 47 cents. In the stores a little thing almost no one pays - sellers are increasingly waving hand when the buyer starts to rummage through your purse in search of one or two cents. Small coin in the delivery lie in the saucer next to the cash registers, piling up at the windows of operators in the offices of Sberbank: you want - take it, do not want - it's up. Nickels lying unattended on the street are stored in the children's piggy bank ... It is hard to imagine that a couple of centuries ago, people treated this petty money quite differently.





Its neck - a penny, and alien head - mite.
Russian proverb

History of a penny - a long and difficult, but not to say that ancient. Before unification of Russian lands, which the princes of Moscow was completed in the first half of the XVI century, a single monetary system was not. In circulation are coins of separate principalities - Tver, Ryazan, Novgorod, Pskov and others. Equalize the monetary reform of 1534. She successfully completed the widow of Vasily III and mother of the future Ivan the Terrible Elena Glinskaya. It was then in the Russian state first appeared unified monetary system.
All the old money were prohibited. It began minting new coins of silver. Silver coins have three advantages: penny, money (polkopeyki) and mite (poldengi, or a quarter of a penny). The basic monetary unit was the penny just equal more expensive than Moscow, Novgorod money to which depicts a horseman with a spear. According to one version, the name of "penny" was just the word "spear." In any case, I explained the new name of Novgorod chronicler, first used in the annals of the word "penny».

Kopeyka- "flake" Time of Troubles. 1612



Fate - turkey, and life - a penny.
Saying

However, on the other, more exotic version, the word "penny" is associated with coins Kёpeka Khan, controlled, using modern terminology, Chagatai ulus - the southern branch of the Mongol Empire. When he came to power in 1320 after defeating his rival Khan Yasavurom, Kёpek Khan founded on the territory of Uzbekistan, Karshi and held a monetary reform - coined silver single sample weighing 8 grams. The people they got the name "Kopek area dinars." In the XIV century the Kopek area were widespread in Russia. Allegedly, by analogy with them, and began to call its own minting small coins. But few historians support this version.
But if you believe Dahl's dictionary, the word "penny" in general is derived from the verb "to save". This is the third version of the origin of the name of small money.
The way, the silver penny at the time was valued very highly. Just three of these coins could buy a cart. For ten - horse. However, the authorities are gradually realized that small mint money out of high-grade silver simply unprofitable.

Kopeyka- "flake" Time of Troubles. 1612



Swing on the ruble, as a blow - a penny.
Saying

The first attempts to change the look of pennies were made in the XVII century. In 1655, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich began to produce copper coins. This coinage of silver did not stop. One penny was worth WHO cucumbers, at the same price to sell chicken. One penny per day earning a carpenter. Mikhail Lomonosov during his studies spent on food a little more - half a penny.
In appearance, silver and copper penny differed only in color. However, the latter were a hundred times less first. Therefore not surprising that the country began to appear in large numbers counterfeit coins. Copper penny is rapidly falling in price. A year after the "copper revolt" in 1662, when they rebelled urban poor, impoverished due to the rapid depreciation of the copper coins, the government brutally suppressed the revolt, still only back to the minting of silver kopecks.
But in the beginning of XVIII century Peter I decided to try again his father. And in 1704 he became the copper penny again. Silver penny Peter I contemptuously called "old lice." The first step was issued fines copper penny below advantage: money - half a penny, mite - 1/4 penny and polupolushka - 1/8 penny. The coexistence of old and new monetary system continued until 1718, then the era of the silver penny was the end - it was withdrawn from circulation.

Elizabethan penny. 1759



A penny saved is a penny earned.
Saying

Since the second half of the XVIII century chasing cents became a regular, very same coin constantly decreased in size and weight. The last copper penny of Tsarist Russia were minted in 1916. A first Soviet came into circulation in 1924. But monetary production absorbs a lot of copper, so the issue of copper pennies decided to stop. Two years later, replaced expensive copper alloy bronze. Coin while weighing exactly 1 gram, and subsequently the weight remained unchanged.
And how many can be bought for a penny in the late Soviet era! During one such coin was given a box of matches. In addition, a penny worth two envelopes without stamps, a pencil, a mediator for two guitars or a glass of soda without the syrup.

But in 1991, inflation is still "ate" a penny. In treatment, she returned only in 1998, after the denomination, "ate" three zeros. Then it began to be minted from alloy steel and nickel silver. As such, the penny exists to this day. However, today, to buy her anything. Even the beggars on the streets of turn up his nose in disgust from a little money. Although in some Russian cities penny still valued.

This penny - the monogram of Catherine II. 1794



No matter how rich and happy to pinch pennies.
Saying

A few years ago in Yaroslavl has opened a unique museum penny. It all started with the simple action "Million cents." Organizers just want to collect as many small coins. The first responded to Yaroslavl, Vladimir Baht numismatist - he brought a day seven thousand shares of penny with.
Gradually, the money poured into the museum from across the country. The most impressive gift - a few tens of thousands cents - the museum received from the Collector of Izhevsk. And the most significant contribution made Yaroslavl 12 bankers and 25 heads of branches of Moscow banks. They at the same time joined the museum fund 740 thousand. Kopecks - each brought five bags of small coins.
To date, the museum contains gifts from ten thousand people from around the country. As meticulous calculations, the wealth of the museum is one million two hundred thousand coins are pennies! After the new reform of the Central Bank on the abolition cents museum's collection seems to be replenished even at times ...

Coin Paul I. 1798



Who is crying and the ruble, and we have a penny jump.
Saying

It is possible that many will be only too happy to get rid of the boring stuff. If you believe the opinion polls, today almost every second Russian believes pennies useless. Two years ago, 87 percent of respondents in the survey, "Levada Center" stated that he did not use one penny coin.

Mykolaiv 1 penny silver. 1842



And our and your - for a penny splyashem.
Saying

Experts, however, such an eventuality is not welcome. In their view, the withdrawal from circulation kopecks lead to a noticeable increase in prices. It will happen because of the fact that the prices it will be rounded upwards. This is sure the majority of the older generation who remember the denomination in 1961. Money lost one zero, but suddenly discovered that a glass of sunflower seeds as a cost of 10 cents, well worth it. Just actually 10 times the prices for all melochovki - first on the market, and then gradually in the state trade. By the way, historically, that is just the depreciation of small coins was the first sign of the financial crisis.
However, most experts still more optimistic. They claim that the abolition of a penny in the current environment of strong inflation is not accelerating. But people are more used to trust your intuition and experience than the experts. Owners piggy banks, which over the years piled penny, of course, concerned about where they are now to put it kindly. Especially retirees worry: before, if you managed to agree, they brought to the store pile savings kopecks and change them for banknotes. (By the way, no one is counting pennies, they were received by weight.) Shops, however, is not obliged to do - they are required only to make a trifle to pay for purchases.
At the collection points metal coin is best not to wear. They are there still no one will. Taking money to be melted it is prohibited by law. Yes, and the metal of the cast coins does not represent any interest for buyers.

Kopeika Alexander II. 1865



Small spool but precious.
Saying

Despite the modest role of a penny, today find it useful application is still possible.
So, collectors appreciate the little money for gold. Some collect them just for good luck, and some because of the historical interest. Experts are confident that after a few centuries penny will cost many times more expensive. However, as with any curiosity.
The only pity is that the employees of the stores still do not understand. Take a trifle, they often refuse, calling the money "a pile of iron." Their refusal, by the way, is still illegal. So in case you can safely require the Complaints Book.
And sometimes a little penny might even save someone's life. In Moscow, for example, from time to time held the action "Someone's life - not a trifle!". Within a few days in special paragraphs volunteers collect pennies and other small thing to help seriously ill children.
It should be noted that the Central Bank proposes to abolish the penny more than once, but always defended the coin. Whatever was said, and it is a pity to part with the coin. Yes, and Russian literature, Russian language, which many proverbs, set phrases related to the penny, will oppose oblivion. So who knows what fate awaits a small coin at this time - maybe it will go on for a while, but then would return ...

Coin era of Alexander III. 1889



Change centuries. 1900



Last.

Last Soviet kopeck with the emblem of the Soviet Union. 1991



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