Altyn is a historical Russian currency (symbol: ). The name seems similar to Tatar

Tatar language

The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...

 altın, meaning "gold

Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

", but this interpretation contradicts its more recent Russian history as a small three kopek silver, then copper, coin. Igor Spassky, a Russian coin collector, proposed a different hypothesis: according to him, the name was derived from the Tatar

Tatar language

The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...

 altı, meaning "six

Six

6 or six may refer to:* 6 , a number, numeral, and glyph* AD 6, a calendar year* 6 BC, a calendar year-Names:* Alphonse Six , Belgian football player* Didier Six , former French international footballer...

", since 1 altyn was equal to 6 denga

Denga

A denga was a Russian monetary unit with a value latterly equal to ½ kopeck .Production of dengas as minted coins began in the middle of the 14th century. In their earliest form they were imitations of the silver coinage of the khans of the Golden Horde, usually bearing blundered or meaningless...

s.

Altyn coins were minted from 1654 under Alexis I

Alexis I of Russia

Aleksey Mikhailovich Romanov was the Tsar of Russia during some of the most eventful decades of the mid-17th century...

, under Peter I

Peter I of Russia

Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...

 as silver coins from 1704 to 1718, and under Nicholas I

Nicholas I of Russia

Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...

 as copper coins with a value of three kopek

Kopek

Kopek or Köpek may refer to:*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ruble*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ukrainian hryvnia*Kopek , an Irish rock band*Sa'd al-Din Köpek , court administrator under Seljuq Sultans of Rum...

s from 1839. Production of three kopek coins was discontinued in 1991. A kopek is analogous to a Western penny.

Literature

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