1726 Peter II Polushka

The 1726 polushka, weighing a mere half-gram, was Russia's smallest copper coin, often used for transactions that barely covered the cost of bread.

This tiny piece entered circulation under Peter II's brief and tumultuous reign, struck in Moscow from local copper sources. The design was simple: an imperial eagle on one side, a date and denomination on the other, reflecting the era's practical approach to coinage. No fancy engravings here; it was all about functionality in a cash-strapped empire.

Records of exact mintage are murky, lost perhaps in the archives of time or the 1838 fire that consumed many Russian documents. What we do know is that these coins circulated widely but wore out quickly due to their softness.

Some numismatists note the irony of such a coin existing at all. After all, in an age of grand reforms, minting something so insignificant felt like an afterthought.