Anna Ivanovna 5 Kopeks

These bronze 5 kopeks coins from Anna Ivanovna's reign often varied wildly in weight, sometimes by as much as two grams, due to inconsistent smelting techniques at the St. Petersburg mint.

That variability wasn't just a nuisance; it reflected the broader challenges of early 18th-century Russian metallurgy. Workers hammered out these pieces on basic presses, using copper that might have included scrap from older coins or domestic mines. The obverse typically bore the empress's monogram and a date, while the reverse showed the imperial eagle—simple, functional designs meant for circulation, not show.

We don't know the exact mintage figures; records from that period were spotty and likely destroyed in later conflicts. What survives are the coins themselves, sturdy if unremarkable, passed through countless hands in a growing empire.

Still, after thirty years of examining them, I appreciate their quiet resilience. They got the job done.