The history of Soviet money is very interesting in itself. It is interesting to observe how during the existence of the Soviet regime ideals and principles changed, reflected in the design of coins and banknotes. Slogans, important government officials, the idea of uniting the proletariat under red banners - all this was embodied not only on the pages of books and in the minds of people, but also on money.
The first Soviet coins
Initially, Soviet money, which replaced the tsarist money, demonstrated a completely new idea for the population of Russia - the unification of the proletariat and the creation of a socialist state. It should be noted that such coins were also of a propaganda nature (as, for example, a penny of 1938).
Change in Soviet money in 1935
Symbolically, the change in the design of the 1935 coins. The slogan "Proletarians of all countries unite!" was removed from their front side. This change was a reflection of the change in foreign policy from internationalism to the construction of communism within one country.
Also, several new ribbons were added to the coat of arms of the USSR, which symbolized the joined republics. In 1935 there were only six of them, but by 1957 there were wholefifteen ribbons.
1938 coins
Coins of the mentioned year of issue had denominations from one to twenty kopecks. By the way, the re-issue of such coins occurred only in the fifties. The coins of the 1938 issue have one special feature - they were minted in a limited edition and with a higher quality than the coins that circulated in the thirties.
It is interesting that nothing is known for certain about the composition of the alloy from which these pennies were made. Some collectors believe that nickel was more used in coinage, while others believe that silver. There is no consensus. Therefore, it turns out that the named pennies were surrounded by a halo of mystery, because no one knows exactly how many there were, what alloy was used, and what was the real price of the 1938 coins. Who wouldn't be inspired to explore?
1 penny
The cost of a seemingly useless coin in the thirties has now skyrocketed. Numismatists highly value the penny of this denomination because of its special engraving and pattern on the reverse. The weight of a penny is about one gram. Diameter - fifteen millimeters.
The depiction of the coat of arms of the USSR and the ears of corn on the reverse is especially interesting because, unlike the predecessor coins of the bands of ears of corn, the obverse had not seven, but eleven. A rising sun was depicted above the ears, and a sickle and a hammer were depicted above the planet located in the center of the coat of arms.
2 kopecks
A coin of this denomination hasseveral varieties. The appearance of various variants of kopecks is usually associated with difficulties in minting. And you can determine their type by the number of nodules. They do this with a magnifying glass and, of course, a reference book. The weight of the named monetary unit is two grams, and the diameter is about two centimeters.
The price of a coin with a face value of two kopecks varies from two hundred rubles to one thousand dollars. The cost depends on the rarity and type of the 1938 penny itself. Someone may be interested in the differences in these coins, but someone will not pay attention to them and sell the rarest copy for several hundred rubles. The rarity of this penny depends, as we have already said, primarily on the design on the reverse.
15 kopecks
A coin of this denomination is quite popular among buyers, although at one time it was quite common.
Its front side was decorated with the State Emblem of the USSR. In 1938, the design of the coin did not acquire any special change, on the contrary, it was rather simplified.
On the reverse of a penny, its face value is indicated. The inscription "15" occupies most of the reverse, and oak branches are depicted on the sides and top. The mass of the coin is 2.7 grams, the diameter is 19 millimeters. Like other kopecks of this year, eleven bundles of ears of corn are depicted on the obverse side of the coin. They have a meaning - they symbolize the eleven republics of the USSR (and in the early thirties there were seven).
The price of a coin of 15 kopecks, 1938year of manufacture, varies greatly, but within fairly modest limits - from one to seven dollars. Such a low price, especially in comparison with other coins of 1938, may surprise someone, but in general, it is easily explained by the large circulation.
It is worth noting that the features of alloys have always protected coins from counterfeiting and did not allow counterfeiters to reveal the secret of producing kopecks. This phenomenon is also noticeable in 1938. Whom this invention should be considered as its author remains unclear.
The socialist ideology, which had a strong influence on the minds of people, was also reflected on the coins, as if emphasizing and recalling the mission of the state that issued this money. And in general, you can see how the design and pattern on the reverse of the coins reflected the changes that took place in 1938 in the USSR.
Change in the ideology itself can be traced if you compare the coins of the twenties, thirties, fifties and seventies. They are very different. First, the slogan "Proletarians of all countries unite!" disappears, and then all propaganda symbols and images (for example, the image of workers and peasants on banknotes) disappear.
The influence of socialism, as it is known, went beyond the borders of the Soviet Union. In communist China, money also became propaganda.
On the image of the yuan, for example, you can see the same idea of uniting the proletariat and the peasantry in the struggle for socialism.
Indeed, money has always been an item of daily necessity, and the images on them weredisplaying the spirit of the nation (for example, American presidents on the dollar), and this is the natural course of things.
