With all the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, I thought I post a coin from my collection from that region, which I am sure hardly anyone here will have seen before. The coin is a Polu-Grosh (half-Grosh) of the principality of Podolsk under Prince Constantine Koriatovich. It was minted at the town/castle of Smotrich in around 1380. There is another variety with an eagle head on the reverse. Both types are exceedingly rare and practically unavailable to western collectors. Obv: MONETA CONSTANTINI Rev: +DVCIS H(EREDIS ЕТ) DOMINI DE SMOTRIC In 1362, four Koriatovich brothers: Alexander, Yuri , Konstantin and Fyodor participated in the army of Grand Duke Olgerd in the Battle of Blue Waters, where the Lithuanians defeated the Golden Horde and conquered Kiev. For their support, in 1363 the principality of Podolsk was created and granted to the brothers as co-rulers, with Konstantin ruling over Smotrich. The Koriatovich brothers built a number of large fortresses, and established a Catholic Diocese at Kamenets. In 1377 a wooden Catholic cathedral was built in the center of the city. Around 1390 the Order of the Franciscans appeared in Kamenets. Gradually, the city became an outpost of Catholicism in the south-west of Russia.
To continue the theme of very rare coins from early Russia/Ukraine (I know of course that Ukraine did not exist back then, but the region in question was the Kievan Rus, i.e. Russia), here is a Srebrenik of Grand Prince Vladimir I the great or the saint. Vladimir was the son of Grand Prince Sviatoslav. He ruled from his capital of Kiev from 980 to 1015. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Russia. The coin below was minted at Kiev or Chernigow, probably towards the end of his reign. Despite the name Srebrenik, which means piece of silver, the coin is made of copper or billon. In the literature the coin below is called Typ III (A.I. Rublev V.3.1.2.3.2) The legend is hardly visible on this coin, but it reads: Obv.: VLADIMIR I STOL (Vladimir on the throne) Rev.: A SE EGO SREBRO (and this is his silver) Note: The reverse shows the personal tamga or sign of Vladimir, which is part of modern Ukraine's state emblem. Measurements: 2.98g, 26mm, 12h Exceedingly rare, especially in this condition
Yikes, @Tejas, that's incredible. Since You're the one who turned me on to the issues of Mstislav, from the following generation, your having this one couldn't be more resonantly appropriate. (Edit: ) ...Dang. Just incredible.
Here is another Srebrenik from my collection. This is a Srebrenik of Type II (A.I. Rublev V.2.1.1.1.4). Measurements: 2.47g, 27mm, 12h This one is of somewhat better silver. The coin dates to around AD 1000 Obv.: ...ASRL Rev.: A SE EGISREBRO The figure on the obverse is usually described as the Grand Prince Vladimir as on the coins of Type III. However, I think it is more likely that the figure is meant to be Jesus, nimbate and with cross.
