The Adoption of European Norms in Peter I's Russian Coinage of 1700-1

Coinage on the European model first appeared in Russia early in the seventeenth century following the reforms of Peter I. This is noted in the specialist literature but there is little discussion of the process whereby certain designs, denominations and types were chosen. By accident or design Peter mainly adopted both the common style, and separate elements, of designs from two German states, namely Brandenburg and Saxony, the latter being then united under a single ruler. Peter selected the designs having first decided on the general appearance for his denominations.