The Russian monetary item “ruble” has more than 700-years-old history. Even at the end of XIII century the Novgorod silver bar as a stick-bar weighing about 200 gram began to call “ruble”. Often it was cut to halves (poltiny), there were also smaller units vekshi, kuni, zherebya and other substitutes of money.

In the second half of XIV century in Russian principalities the coinage of the Russian silver coin “scale” began. Its weight equaled 1/200 of ruble-bar. The coinage of money is related to the fight of the grand duke Dmitry of Don against Tartars. By the beginning of XV century money was already minted by many grand and apanage dukes. Since 1420 the producing of the coin was began in Novgorod, since 1425 in Pskov.

Being changed into coins, ruble was able to satisfy small payments. The increase of scales of coins minting and their continuous spoilage shook stability of ruble. In the middle of XV cent. casting of bars was stopped, and ruble became an account concept only.

The coins of principalities differed only in weight and design. A few regional money systems appeared in Russia. At the end of XV cent. on the basis of the largest ones — Moscow and Novgorod — the all-Russian money system with two basic face values (novgorodka and moskovka) was formed.

Substantial alterations in money circulation were made by the money reform made in 1534 by Helen Glinskaya, mother of very young Ivan IV (the Terrible). Any old coin was forbidden. The single monetary system was created that marked the end of the lasting process of uniting of Russian lands round Moscow. An account ruble weighing about 68 grams was taken as a basic unit, consisting of 100 «novgorodkas», which because of image of rider with a spear were begun to be named kopecks (spear is kopje in Russian), either 200 «moskovkas» or 400 polushkas (half of «moskovka» or fourth of kopeck). Reform was accompanied by diminishment of weight of new coins which is usual in such cases. From the hryvenka of silver (254,756 gr.) not 2,6, but 3 rubles were minted now. Its weight went down gradually. To the middle of XVII cent. a gravimetric ruble contained about 46 grams of silver.
Ruble as a coin has been existing for 350 years. In 1654 at the tsar Aleksey Mihajlovich the real ruble silver coins recoined from «efimki» (the European thalers) were first minted. On a coin the legend «ruble» was first placed, on a front side there was double-headed eagle, on reverse side there was tsar on a horse. However, ruble wasn’t full-valued coin, as it contained less silver, than 100 kopecks. Its his actual cost equaled 64 kopecks (analogy with a thaler).

The issue of rubles in 1654 was small. Technical difficulties of coinage and distrustful attitude of population to the unusual coins with obviously forced course made the government abandon the attempt. In 1655 at real price of 64 kopecks there were issued West-European thalers with Russian recoining: rider on a horse and year — «1655»).
Such coins got the name “efimki with signs”. That very year the issue of copper coins per sample silver ones was began. Of the pood of copper kopecks for 400 rubles were made. The increased issue of copper coins resulted in their depreciation, disorganization of economy and «Copper rebellion», broken out in Moscow in July, 1662. In summer 1663 it was necessary to get back to the former monetary system.

The beginning of systematic coinage of silver rubles and wide usage of different European coins in money circulation of the country is connected with the name of Peter I. Money reform 1698 — 1704 formed the most front-rank monetary system in Europe based on decimal principle. In its basis there was ruble of about 28 gr, dividing into 100 kopecks. The coinage of silver rubles and copper kopecks began in 1704, on the final stage of the reform. The type of design of rubles with the portrait of tsar on front side firmly established for a long time.

Some changes in style of coins happened at the end of rule of Peter Alekseevich. Since 1723 on rubles the head was substituted for the cruciform monogram made of four «P». The same monogram made of the initial letters of the tsar name was later placed on the rubles of Peter II and on all silver chinks of Paul I.
Series of images of emperors and empresses XVIII cent. on coins saved their realistic lifetime portraits. Palace revolutions and fight for the throne found their reflections on silver rubles. For example, coins with the portrait of the baby-emperor Ioann Antonovich, dethroned by Elisabeth Petrovna in 1741, were favored with a few emperor’s decrees forbidding their circulation and requiring the recoinage with the portrait of a new sovereign.

Under Catherine II in 1764 content of silver in a ruble went down to 16 gr. In 1769 for financing of war with Turkey paper money, banknotes secured with copper coins, were first issued in Russia. In 1771 a rubber stamp for an enormous copper coin the so-called Sestroretskiy ruble was made. It was called so because it was assumed to be minted at the Sestroretskiy plant. For the circulation such coins were not suitable. It was planned to secure paper banknotes by these rubles. But mass production did not take place.
In XVIII in. the coinage of gold coins of the smaller denomination was twice undertaken — poltina (in 1756 and in 1777 — 1778) and ruble (in 1756 — 1758 and in 1779) — more for internal palace circulation, than for the aims of wide one.

Noticeable changes in the external look of coins happened on a threshold of XIX cent. For a long time portrait disappears from them. On the coins of Paul I head was replaced by the mentioned cruciform monogram of four «P», and other side was occupied by cartouche with the biblical motto of the ancient Order of Knight Templars: «Not to us, not to us, but to your name» (let there be praise). In 1801 head was returned to coins, and reverse side was occupied by legends of business character. The changes of type took place in 1806, 1810, 1826 and 1832, sometimes in the middle of year, therefore there are coins of different kinds with the same date. From 1826 to 1831 on a large silver coin and from 1829 to 1831 on the small one there was the eagle of the so-called «Alexander type» with the widely stretched wings was placed.
In 1832 denotation of face value occupied the reverse of coin, and round the head inscription with denotation of content of silver was closed. In 1858 the word «coin» went away from denotation of face value. Such type remained till 1886, when happened the last change. On coins the portrait of emperor with the proper inscription was again placed, but this time there was depicted only head of monarch in profile: under the reign of Alexander III and Nicolay II.

The First World War begun in 1914 had catastrophic influence on money circulation. The last emperor’s silver ruble was coined in 1915, and there were only 600 of them. During the first year of war gold coins disappeared, they were followed by silver ones, at first large and then small ones. Paper-money circulation was put to use in the country. The mass issues of paper money substitutes which began to serve the markets of the whole empire caused growth of inflation. In February, 1917 The Provisional government came to power, which printed the enormous amount of paper money. As a result inflation grew greatly. After October revolution in 1917 and the beginning of Civil war the further printing of the paper money, produced by different governments, province and district authorities, military departments, enterprises and private individuals, continued.
Only in March, 1921 the issue of silver coins equal to those ones of tsar’s Russia began in Soviet Russia. The rubles of Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic with new revolutionary symbolism were minted in 1921 — 1922. But coins were not issued till 1924, as necessary monetary reserve was created. They were issued in February, 28, 1924. The minting of silver coins of USSR also began that year. A silver ruble with the emblem of USSR and image of worker and peasant was dated only 1924.
Before the reform of 1961 coins with face value of one ruble were not minted for the circulation. During the preparation of reform in 1958 rubles and coins of other face values were minted, but all of them were not officially issued. In 1961 new types of coins were issued, among which 1 ruble had the largest face value. Rubles of this type of a copper-nickel alloy were minted almost every year till 1991.

In 1991 The bank of USSR last time issued coin of new design, where the emblem was substituted by the images of dome of Senate and Spasskaya tower of Moscow Kremlin. In this series copper-nickel coins with face value of 1 ruble had a much less size and were among smaller face values.
After breaking-up of USSR new coins with the image of double-headed eagle without crowns, which became the emblem of Bank of Russia, were issued in 1992. 1 ruble coin of steel with bronze coverage became the most small coin of series. Because of growing inflation these coins very soon disappeared from the circulation. In 1993 the Russian government conducted a new money reform, as a result of which 1 ruble coins are not minted, and 10 rubles become the smallest coin. In 1995 State Bank of Russia stopped the coinage of rubles in coins and started the issue of banknotes of more large face values.
After conducting of denomination of ruble in January, 1998 new coins of different face values appeared in circulation. The coined kopeck became the pride of organizers of denomination. Ruble also appeared again.