Denga

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Denga, Tsar Ivan IV , second half of the 16th century.

Denga , plural Dengi (Russian деньга, older form денга) is the name of a Russian coin that was originally minted in silver and later in copper.

The coin, which was created at the end of the 14th century, probably at the time of Grand Duke Dmitri Donskoy , was named after the name of a Tatar silver coin "Tengah" , which in turn can be traced back to the Arabic dirhem and, via this, to the Greek drachma . It was pretty easy to make. Pieces of a certain length were cut from a silver wire and tapped into a coin-like (teardrop) shape with a hammer and tongs. The coins were then minted. The weight was about 1 g (0.92 g), which was about two hundredth the weight of a ruble bar . Many Denga and Kopek coins from this period are provided with a small hole, which is due to the storage form at that time - strung on a string - or the bridal jewelry processing.

The coin developed into the predominant coin in Russia in the second half of the 15th century with a variety of different coin designs. It is usually labeled with the word Pečat (= seal, seal) and the name of the ruler. A reduction to a few types began around 1500. The typical coin image was now the Grand Duke on horseback with a curved saber, which earned her the name "Sablanica" ( "saber coin" ), analogous to the new, second, twice as heavy small coin, the "Kopejka" ( "spear coin" ) - see also kopeck .

Continuous inflation gradually reduces its importance and weight. Nevertheless, it is still a synonym for money among the people (plural Dengi / Деньги = Russian term for money) and serves as a unit of account.

From 1700 it was then only minted as a copper coin. The coinage officially expired in 1828. Just as a reminder, a small coin was finally named Deneschka around 1849 , the name of which was carried over to the half-kopeck, which was minted until 1928. Half Denga was called Polushka (Russian полушка or получка - still synonymous today for "wages" and comes from the root word "from half hare skins" = Pol-Ushkani) and was minted in copper until 1916 as a quarter kopeck.

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