Russia, Anna to Ivan IV, Copper Denga

These copper denga coins, equal to ½ kopek, were issued during the mid-18th century, a tumultuous time for Russian politics. They date between 1730 and 1754, covering the reigns of three rulers: Anna, Elizabeth, and the child emperor Ivan VI. Each coin features a double-headed Russian imperial eagle on the obverse, with "ДЕНГА" (DENGA) and the date on the reverse.

Anna Ioannovna ruled the Duchy of Courland (now Western Latvia) from 1711 to 1730 before becoming Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740. She was largely uninterested in political affairs, often deferring to her lover, Ernst Johann Biron, and her brutal advisors. In 1740, she ordered the construction of an elaborate ice palace and forced a disgraced court member to marry a Kamryk woman in a frozen wedding, an act that highlighted her cruelty and strained her relationship with the Russian people, who paid heavy taxes for her projects.

When Anna died without an heir, she left the throne to her sister’s grandson, Ivan VI, who was just two months old. Biron and later Ivan’s mother acted as regents, but their unpopularity led to a coup by Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great. At five years old, Ivan VI was imprisoned and spent the next 20 years in solitary confinement before being killed by his jailers during a failed rescue attempt.

Elizabeth Petrovna became empress in 1741 and ruled until her death. She led Russia through the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years’ War. Despite the turmoil, Elizabeth was a popular monarch, known for not executing anyone during her reign and for promoting modernization, architecture, arts, and universities, ushering in an Age of Enlightenment in Russia.

Each includes a Certificate of Authenticity.