Sriblianyks were the first minted silver coins of Ancient Rus, which were minted at the end of the 10th – beginning of the 11th century during the reign of Volodymyr Sviatoslavovych (972–1015) after the adoption of Christianity and became a kind of declaration of the sovereignty of the East Slavic state. Ancient Rus coins are one of the oldest artifacts of Ancient Rus fine art, writing and language.
On the obverse of the coin, in the center of the field, in a triple dot frame there is a full-length figure of the Grand Prince Volodymyr, sitting on the throne. The prince holds a cross in his right hand, his left hand is on his chest (a dot above the hand). A nimbus is depicted around the prince's head, several vertical rows of dots outline the texture of the prince's clothing, which resembles a chain mail. A legend is engraved on the outer circle.
On the reverse of the coin, in the center of the field, in a triple dot frame a trident is depicted as an ancestral sign of the Riuryk dynasty. A legend is engraved on the outer circle.
The image of the princely sign in the form of the Sriblianyk of the 2nd type became the norm for subsequent issues of Ancient Rus coins.
The silver coin was found in 1852 as a part of the hoard near the town of Nizhyn while plowing a field by the peasant S. Borys.
ru
