Fyodor I Kopek

The most striking thing about the Fyodor I kopek is how its copper composition reflected Russia's shift away from silver, making it a practical necessity in a cash-strapped empire.

These coins were struck in Moscow and other regional mints, with designs featuring the tsar's monogram or a simple cross, all on irregularly shaped planchets. Variations in weight could reach 10-15%, depending on the batch. That irregularity wasn't just sloppy work; it mirrored the era's crude minting tools and inconsistent metal supplies.

We don't know the exact mintage figures. Records from that period are sparse, and much was likely destroyed in later conflicts. Still, thousands circulated, greasing the wheels of trade from the Volga to the Baltic.

Counterfeits were rampant, as you'd expect with something so easy to hammer out in a backyard forge. I suppose that's one way to democratize currency.