Altyn

Altyn (Russian алты́н, also алты́нник) is a historical Russian currency (symbol: ). The name seems similar to Tatar altın, (алтын) meaning "gold", but this meaning contradicts to its historical value (altyn has alwais been a small coin). Igor Spassky, a Russian coin collector, proposed a different hypothesis: according to him, the name was derived from the Tatar altı, (алты) meaning "six", ^[1]^[2] since 1 altyn was equal to 6 dengas.

Altyn coins were minted from 1654 under Alexis I, under Peter I as silver coins from 1704 to 1718, and under Nicholas I as copper coins with a value of three kopeks from 1839. Production of three kopek coins was discontinued in 1991.

Literature

^ Спасский, И. Г. Алтын в русской денежной системе. / В кн.: Краткие сообщения Института истории материальной культуры АН СССР, вып. 66. — 1956.
^ Спасский, И. Г. Русская монетная система. — Л.: Аврора, 1970. — с. 105.

Узденников В. Монеты России (1700—1917): Издание третье. — М.: Collector’s Books; IP Media Inc., 2004.

[1] Спасский, И. Г. Алтын в русской денежной системе. / В кн.: Краткие сообщения Института истории материальной культуры АН СССР, вып. 66. — 1956.

[2] Спасский, И. Г. Русская монетная система. — Л.: Аврора, 1970. — с. 105.

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