TO THE QUESTION OF THE MOBILIZATION AND AGITATION FUNCTION OF RUSSIAN COINS OF THE ERA OF IVAN IV

Abstract

Researchers often used symbols on medieval Russian coins to study ideologies and representations of authority. Their works were based on the analysis of specific titles, the semantics of individual signs and images. If we look at the statistics of the use of certain subjects on coins, it turns out that in two periods in Russia abnormally many types of coins were minted with weapons and soldiers. This is the period of the Feudal war of the second quarter of the XV century and the reign of Ivan the terrible. In this article the author tries to interpret the statistical data of the second such case. In the absence of written sources explaining the reasons for the abnormal number of types of coins of «military» subjects, the author put forward a hypothesis that consists in updating the mobilization and agitation function. The assumption is that the large-scale military campaigns of Ivan IV required a strong strain of human forces and resources. The need to mobilize human capital was reflected in the coins - through clear and accessible symbols for the population, the authorities could broadcast their goals, tasks and aspirations.

Keywords

• xvi век