First in Russia Mint appeared in 1534 in Moscow. In the period from 1697 to 1701, 5 enterprises for minting money already existed in Moscow. In 1724, by decree of Peter I, the same enterprise was founded in St. Petersburg, which after 1826 became the only one in Russian Empire. In Moscow, coin minting was resumed only in 1942 at a newly built enterprise.

In the Soviet Union, coins were produced at Moscow and Leningrad enterprises. They were minted without a mark until 1991. In 1991, the trademark of the company that minted the coin appeared on the obverse. The letter “M” is the designation of the Moscow Mint, and “L” is the designation of the Leningrad Mint. The signs were located at the bottom of the obverse of the coin to the right of the coat of arms of the USSR.

After the collapse of the USSR, a monetary reform took place, the appearance coins, their weight, and some other denominations appeared. On the first coins of the State Emergency Committee, the trademark was placed on the reverse under the denomination, and the hallmark designations remained the same. In mid-1991, new stamps began to appear on coins of 1 ruble and above, namely “MMD” - Moscow Mint and “LMD” - Leningradsky. Now coins were minted with different letters: “M”, “L”, “MMD”, “LMD” depending on the denomination. This continued until 1993. In 1993, after another monetary reform, the mint mark “M”, “L” finally disappeared.

After the renaming of Leningrad to St. Petersburg, the stigma also changed. Since 1997, coins with the sign “SPMD” began to be minted, which meant St. Petersburg Mint. The designation of Moskovsky remains the same - “MMD”. Each coin minting enterprise began to place stamps of two samples on the obverse side. For small change up to 50 kopecks, Moskovsky puts “M”, and St. Petersburg S-P and it is located under the raised hoof of the horse. From 1 ruble and above – “MMD” and “SPMD”, respectively. On these denominations the sign is placed under the eagle's right paw.

On modern commemorative coins, the mint mark appears in different places, depending on the denomination. On coins of 2 rubles and 5 rubles it is located on the reverse on the right side between the curls of the branch. On a bimetallic coin of 10 rubles - in the center on the reverse under the coin's denomination. On brass-plated ten-ruble steel coins issued since 2009, the mark is placed on the reverse side on the right side under the branch next to the year of issue.

Gallery of signs

Since the founding of the Russian Empire, there have been many enterprises for minting money. Each enterprise had its own designation. Below are the names and marks of the mints of Tsarist Russia.

• AM - Anninsky
• BC - Krasny, Naberezhny
• BM - St. Petersburg
• VM – Warsaw
• EM – Ekaterinburg
• IM - Kolpinsky (Izhora)
• KD – Red
• KM – Kolyvansky, Suzunsky, Kolpinsky (Izhora)
• M, MD, MDD, MDZ, MM, MOSCOW – Kadashevsky
• MMD – Red
• MW – Warsaw
• ND, NDD, NDZ – Embankment
• SM - Sestroretsky (on nickels 1763-1767)
• SM - Petersburg (on coins of 1797-1799)
• C - Banking (on gold and silver money 1799-1801)
• SM - Suzunsky (on money of 1798)
• SP - St. Petersburg
• SP - Bankovsky (on gold and silver coins of 1800)
• St. Petersburg - St. Petersburg (on money 1724-1796 and 1805-1914)
• SPB - Bankovsky (on gold and silver coins of 1801-1805)
• St. Petersburg - Paris and Strasbourg (on exchange silver 1861 without the sign of the mintzmeister)
• JV - Birmingham (on copper coins 1896-1898)
• St. Petersburg - St. Petersburg plant of Rosenkrantz (on copper coins 1899-1901)
• SPM - St. Petersburg Mint
• SPM - Kolpinsky (Izhora) (copper 1840-1843)
• TM - Tavrichesky

Alexander Igorevich

Reading time: ~3 minutes

If in the future you want to have a collection of rare coins, then when collecting specific specimens it is also important to pay attention to the mint. Sometimes this knowledge helps to quickly determine the market value of a new product that comes into your hands. The same copy, produced by different yards, can differ in price several times.

History and modernity of Russian mints

On the territory of modern Russian Federation There are only two mints operating. One works in Moscow, and the second in St. Petersburg. On modern coins the names are minted as "" or "". If the products are cheap, then they will simply have the letters “M” or “S-P”.

There are specimens on which no indication of origin at all. The cost of such a marriage increases significantly. The fact that usually the MMD stamp looks several times larger than the St. Petersburg stamp is alarming. In fact, there is nothing strange about this, because this is how it really is.

The first Russian mint was founded in 1534. This happened in the then capital of Moscow under Tsar John IV. In St. Petersburg, this institution was founded by Peter I in 1724. Since 1876, the mint in St. Petersburg became the only one in the country. Today it is still located on the territory Peter and Paul Fortress. In 1921, it was here that the minting of Soviet coins began. The Yekaterinburg Mint also operated in Russia from 1727 to 1876. At the Suzunsky copper smelter the yard operated from 1766 to 1847.

Very often, when we read professional literature on numismatics, we come across terms of unknown meaning. Many abbreviations and abbreviations confuse the new collector. Just like now, I very often began to see the obreviations of MMD and SPMD without decoding, as if everyone already knows what it is and “what they eat it with,” and they also write that they need to be distinguished. So what are these mysterious letters? Let's take a closer look.

To begin with, let’s make a reservation that in the article we will only consider coins from the period of Modern Russia, i.e. from 1997 to the present day. Why is this important when talking about determining the differences between SPMD and MMD. The fact is that the abbreviations MMD and SPMD are nothing more than the Moscow Mint and the St. Petersburg Mint, respectively. It is in the form of such a pair of abbreviations that they are known at the present time, earlier SPMD had the name LMD (Leningrad Mint) due to the former name of the city, and in general there were several “Moscow” mints in history, and so as not to make a dissertation from a short and understandable article We set a clear and understandable framework - we consider only coins of modern circulation.

Let's get down to business. Why is it important for a person who is passionate about collecting coins to distinguish at which mint a coin was minted? There are two answers to this question:

• firstly, by mint, coins receive the number of varieties, i.e. if, for example, a coin was minted only at the MMD, then it has one variety per mint, and if it was minted at both, then there are respectively two. In a full-fledged collection, it is considered normal to have all types of collected coins, but if not all of them are collected, then the collection is considered incomplete;
• secondly, very often the price of a type of coin is extremely different depending on the mint of the manufacturer, or even puts the coin among the rarities. Let's say a certain coin was minted on the SPMD in the amount of 100 million copies (by numismatic standards this is a lot), and on the MMD - only 10 thousand pieces. Instantly the price of “Moscow” copies will skyrocket to very high limits, while “St. Petersburg” copies, on the contrary, will have practically no value.

So, we have discussed why we should distinguish coins by mint; in principle, there should be no questions. Now closer to practice. I repeat, all modern coins are minted in our country at two mints: MMD and SPMD. Almost all coins (!!! there are very rare exceptions!!!) to identify the manufacturer's mint bear a special mark - a monogram (sign) of the mint or a letter designation. The Moscow Mint corresponds to the monogram "MMD" or the letter sign "M", the St. Petersburg Mint, respectively, to "SPMD" or "S-P".

Where can you find the mint mark (monogram) on a coin? To do this, we will need a good eye or, if necessary, a simple magnifying device (Magnifying glass, also known as a magnifying glass; in extreme cases, grandma’s glasses will do. Asking your son to steal a Microscope from a biology class is NOT NECESSARY! ;) The following two pictures show modern coins . In the first row there are images of coins "in full height", the red "marker" highlights that part of the coin field that we will examine with magnification. The second row shows the enlarged part of the corresponding coin, i.e. the place where the sign (monogram) of the mint is depicted.

What do we see in the first picture? As you may have guessed, here are coins from the Moscow Mint. For clarity, the usual circulation 1 kopeck and 1 ruble are presented here, but there is also a gold St. George the Victorious. You have probably already noticed that the monogram on the 1997 Ruble differs from the mint monogram on the fifty-ruble coin. That's right, the Moscow Mint really changed the images of its trademark and this happened at the turn of 1997 and 1998.

In the second picture, accordingly, all the coins are “St. Petersburg”; completely different signs (monograms) tell us this. Definitely, the St. Petersburg monogram often looks smaller and difficult to read, but with some practice you can learn to distinguish them without any optical instruments. Well, now you, like me, as well as many other numismatists, know how to distinguish MMD from SPMD, why you need to know how to do this, and even a little more. My advice to you, dear readers: don’t be lazy, take out the coins you currently have and practice, and you can also combine this with parallel viewing of the Price Lists for coins, this can be a very useful activity, because even among ordinary small change there is a chance of finding truly rare coins, you just have to start!

Mint marks on Russian coins allow you to accurately determine where such a coin was minted. Ever since Soviet Union There were two mints in Russia - Moscow and Leningrad, which later became St. Petersburg.

A mint appeared in Moscow back in 1534. And in 1724, by decree of Peter I, a mint was opened in St. Petersburg, which was also the only one for some time, since the Moscow one did not function from 1826 to 1942.

Now in Russia there are two mints. The designation on the coins is minted in the form of monograms: MMD and SPMD.

Mint marks in the USSR

The first mint mark appeared on the reverse 1 ruble denomination, which was issued in 1975, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the victory. It was a sign of the LDM, which belonged to Leningrad. In 1977, in addition to the LDM, the MMD sign was first applied to the edge of the chervonets. Marks indicating the mint began to be applied to the change coin only in 1990.

Mint marks on coins

In the USSR, the letters L and M, as well as the abbreviations LDM, MMD, were applied in 1992-1993. The 1992 ruble has three different options mint mark - MMD, L and M marks.

To identify the mint, numismatists will need a magnifying glass. In some cases, if the condition of the coin is already poor, a scanner and camera may be useful. But in most cases, a magnifying glass is sufficient. Sometimes it is quite difficult to discern the mint emblem.

Emblem of the mint in modern Russia

So how to determine the mint on modern coins in Russia? On penny coins they are displayed as M and S-P on the obverse under the horse's front hooves. On some coins, the Moscow Mint stamp looks larger, which is also true.

The usual coins that are familiar to us, which are common in circulation, have mint marks located on the obverse of the coin under the eagle's paw on the right. At the same time, mint monograms usually have a standard appearance, however, they can also have many varieties. Sometimes the mint can be identified by the edge of the coin. Money minted with , have inscriptions of a more rounded shape than those minted by the St. Petersburg Mint.

On commemorative coins, depending on the denomination, the mint mark may appear in different places. On the reverse of coins in denominations of 2 rubles and 5 rubles, the emblem is located between the curls of the branches on the right side. In the central part of the reverse, directly below the denomination, it stands on the 10-ruble note. And on the rest with brass coating - next to the year of manufacture.

There are also coins on which the mint mark is not affixed. This happened due to an error in the production of stamps. Among numismatists, such coins are very valuable. There are 4 known such coins, two of which are anniversary coins: 1 ruble 1993, minted in honor of Vernadsky’s 130th anniversary; 2 rubles 2003 - in honor of the 40th anniversary of space flight; as well as 5 kopecks from 2002 and 2003. The belonging of coins from the times of the USSR to a specific mint can be determined by some features of the stamps.

Some novice numismatists underestimate the significance of the mint mark, but in vain. A coin of the same denomination and year of issue can vary greatly in price depending on the presence or absence of this sign, as well as its shape.

The designation of the mint on domestic coins has a long history. IN Soviet period on coin tokens it was practically not present. But one should not think that it was abolished by the Bolsheviks who came to power. In fact, Emperor Nicholas II contributed to the disappearance of the usual letters “SPB”, separated by dots. By entering the military campaign of the First World War, the tsar launched strong anti-German sentiments in society. The surge of hatred towards everything German was so powerful and rapid that already in August St. Petersburg changed its name to Petrograd.

In this regard, the St. Petersburg Mint also becomes the Petrograd Mint, and the same three letters “SPB” disappear from coins of penny denominations (the initials of mintmaster Viktor Smirnov continue to be minted on silver). Thus began the production of “yardless” royal coins. However, the empire itself did not have long to remain on the political map of the world.

LMD logo on the anniversary ruble

In the public consciousness, the return of the mint designation took place in 1991, when the letters “L” or “M” appeared on the entire line of coins (depending on whether the Leningrad or Moscow Mint minted them). However this erroneous opinion. For the first time, the trademark was minted on an anniversary ruble dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the Victory. Below and to the right of the pedestal, on which the sculpture of the Motherland proudly stands, we can find the logo of the Leningrad Mint. The reasons why it appeared one-time and did not appear again at the Soviet copper-nickel anniversary are unknown. We can say that the phenomenon went almost unnoticed. Few people paid any attention to the small trademark, so this logo did not linger in the people’s memory.

Since 1977, the designation of the mint in the form of a three-letter abbreviation appears on gold chervonets, in large quantities minted before the Olympics. There were hopes that foreigners would buy up the original coins en masse. In 1981, the Leningrad Court sharply reduced the production of gold coins, so chervonets, with the designation LMD on the edge, are a welcome find among collectors of domestic investment coins. However, for the majority of Soviet citizens golden chervonets remained the realities of some other parallel world, therefore, here too, the designation of the mint was familiar to the initiates rather than to the general public.

M and L on 1991 coins

But to say that the massive return of the trademark took place in 1991 is not entirely correct. The letter "M" to the right of the coat of arms of the USSR is also present on coins of 1990 (denominations 5 and 10 kopecks). It is clear that this is a mistake, when the stamp pair was made up of the obverse intended for coins of 1991, and the reverse of 1990, which was somehow delayed in the technological chain. These coins are quite rare and have high price among the collecting fraternity.

All coins of the new line, unofficially called “GKChP Coins,” have a mint designation. If the kryvennik and fifty kopecks are designated by letters ("M" for ten kopecks and "L" for fifty), then the ruble denominations are already decorated with a logo. On the ruble we can only see an elongated LMD logo, but the five, in addition to the Leningrad one, can also have a rounded Moscow monogram (MMD is valued a little more, but is not a rare coin). However, the difference between the logos is most strikingly manifested in the price of the bimetallic ten-ruble note. The ten LMD was issued in a huge circulation and is still a coin that is bought by weight. But if under the denomination there is a circle in which the curly letters MMD are visible, then the price of such a specimen immediately rises above the ten thousand mark.

Three options for 1992 change

A very interesting situation arose for the smallest denominations of 1992. Due to hyperinflation, pennies were washed out of circulation. That's why letter designations switched to coins in denominations of one ruble and five rubles. But the Moscow yard managed to mint some part of the circulation not with the letter “M”, but with the “MMD” logo. Let's look at fives with three types of notation. If “letter” coins are ordinary and are of no interest, then fives with a logo are not so often seen, and they have collection value(you can check the database of auction passes on our website).

Higher denominations of 10 and 20 rubles immediately had the designation of the mint in the form of a logo. However, both yards here have done a great job, and pricing does not depend on the designation of the yard, but on the availability magnetic properties for 1992 and from their absence for 1993. The logo also adorns the bimetal, where Moscow coins are more valued.

M and SP under the horse's hoof

The designation of the court remained on the coins even after the denomination. But Leningrad was regained historical name St. Petersburg, and the abbreviation LMD was transformed into SPMD. However, for small change coins they decided to leave exclusively the designation of cities (without mention of the mint). And the letter “M” appeared again on the penny denominations of 1997. Almost in the same place as on kopecks in 1991. And the letter “L” was replaced by a two-letter construction with a dot “S-P”. The obverse of penny denominations is decorated with the image of St. George the Victorious slaying a serpent with a spear. Therefore, we always remember, when we see the phrase “Look for the mint mark under the horse’s hoof,” that we are talking only about penny denominations.

MMD and SPMD under the eagle's paw

Ruble denominations have an image of a double-headed eagle on the obverse (analogous to the emblem of the Bank of Russia, the issuer of money in the Russian Federation). The phrase “We are looking for the designation of the mint under the eagle’s paw” is appropriate here. We are no longer talking about letters. Before us is the trademark of the mint in the form of the MMD or SPMD logo. A trademark, as it turns out, is not such a constant. If ruble denominations are decorated with the MMD logo in the form of a huge circle, then over time it becomes modest in size and noticeably flattens. But the SPMD logo remains unchanged. It is worth noting that most varieties of modern weather patterns are made up of precisely one or another location of the mint’s trademark relative to other elements of the design on the field of the coin.

"Lost" signs

An impressive novel like The Lost Symbol is unlikely to be written about them. But among collectors, coins without a yard mark are in steady demand. As in the years of the Union, the Moscow Mint distinguished itself here. For unknown reasons, he lost the “M” on part of the circulation of five kopecks in 2002 and 2003, as well as the MMD logo on the “Gagarinskaya” two-ruble note in 2001. The price of such coins is thousands of times higher than their sisters of ordinary varieties. Therefore, counterfeits have become more frequent. Basically, the logo on two rubles is polished, and St. Petersburg coins are often used. But counterfeits of patches have already been identified, although it is technologically more difficult to discreetly cut off a mark from a clad coin. There are coins without the designation of the yard and other years. But here it is important to remember that coins of recognized varieties are valued. If the design of the coin field is indistinguishable in all details from the familiar stamp where the yard is present, then it is just unminted. Of course, such coins are also of interest, but the attention paid to them is much more modest than to “legal” variants without a logo or letter.

Moving the logo to the denomination on the anniversary

On commemorative coins, the issuer and the trademark move to the side where the denomination is indicated, and it automatically becomes the obverse. The reason is clear - the other party is completely occupied with the image dedicated to the event, region or ancient city. On bimetallic tens, the logo is located at the bottom of the obverse. It is important not only in terms of collection (there are albums for the anniversary, taking into account double-yard issues), but also in terms of value. If you look at the price tag or the database of auction passes on our website, you will notice that coins from one mint are somewhat more expensive than exactly the same ones, but issued by another mint.

Since 2016, the eagle on the obverse of ruble denominations has changed its appearance, returning to the classic imperial appearance. We have already seen it like this on twenty-five ruble coins dedicated to the Sochi Olympics. Mint mark on banknotes We are looking for a new model in the usual place - under the eagle’s paw, although now it is turned upward and occupied by the power. So far, only the Moscow Mint is represented. But nothing prevents the St. Petersburg Mint from returning to minting the walker, and then we will once again see the SPMD logo under the eagle’s paw.

Latest auction prices for coins in Russian rubles

Photo	Description of the coin	G	VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC	Proof
	5 kopecks 2002 M from 2 to 15 rub.	-	-	-	15	-	2	10	-
	1 ruble 1991 LMD State Emergency Committee State Emergency Committee from 7 to 106 rub.	-	-	-	-	7	8	106	-
	1 ruble 1992 MMD from 21 to 110 rub.	-	-	-	-	21	-	110	-
	1 ruble 1992 M from 1 to 199 rub.	-	-	-	-	-	1	199	-
	5 rubles 1992 MMD from 66 to 284 rub.	-	-	-	-	66	284	268	-
	5 rubles 1992 M from 45 to 162 rub.	-	-	-	-	-	45	162	-
	1 ruble 1992 L from 1 to 110 rub.	-	-	-	-	18	1	110	-
	5 rubles 1992 L from 1 to 100 rub.	-	-	-	1	6	8	100	-
	10 rubles 2008 MMD Vladimir Vladimir (XII century) from 120 to 278 rub.	-	-	120	193	233	240	278	-