Tauride Coins (1787-1788): The Rare Copper Kopecks

Illustrated Specimen Details: Tauride Coins

Example Specimen: 2 kopecks, 1788 (Russian Empire — Tauride Mint)

Visual Assessment & Rarity: At first glance, the photo shows an extremely common Russian copper coin of the 18th century: 2 kopecks of Empress Catherine II in non-collectible condition. However, this is actually a rare numismatic piece, as indicated by the two small letters ТМ on the reverse.

Heraldry & Design: The coin was struck during the reign of Catherine II (Ekaterina II), Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. The obverse features the crowned monogram of the Empress: І Е ІІ (Імператрица Екатерина ІІ). The reverse displays Saint George striking a dragon with a spear. He is a great Christian martyr and one of the most revered saints in the Christian world, whose historical prototype was a Roman soldier from Cappadocia during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Below the horse, the mintmark ТМ (Таврическая Монета) is clearly visible, identifying it as a product of the Tauride Mint in Feodosia (modern-day Ukraine). A distinctive reticulated (net-like) edge surrounds the heavy copper planchet.

1. rUSSIAN EMPIRE (1787-1788): kopecks with the TM mintmark (Tauride Coins series)

The name "Tauride coins" (Russian: "Монета таврическая", occasionally referred to as Tauric or Taurian coins) is the conventional numismatic term for a specific, short-lived series of colonial Russian Empire coinage. They were issued exclusively between 1787 and 1788 at the Tauride Mint located in Feodosia (Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine). All of them bore the characteristic "TM" mintmark. The name derives from "Tauria" or "Taurida", the classical historical name of the Crimean Peninsula, originating from the ancient Tauri people.

Historical Background of the Tauride Mint

Coinage on the territory of modern Feodosia has deep historical roots. The first coins were struck by ancient Greek immigrants more than two millennia ago. During the Middle Ages, a mint of the Republic of Genoa operated in Caffa (the historical name of Feodosia). The site later issued coins for the Crimean Khanate.

Immediately prior to the region's incorporation into the Russian Empire, transitional coins were minted in Feodosia during 1780-1782. These were the issues of the Crimean Tatar Khan Şahin Giray — specifically, the akçe (sometimes referred to as the "kopeck-akçe" due to its technical alignment with Russian imperial coin parameters). Following the final annexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire in 1783, the old khan's mint was reorganized, and a new institution was established: the Tauride Mint.

The Copper Circulation Issues (1787-1788)

Operating under the authority of the Taurida Oblast, the mint primarily issued copper coins of the imperial standard in denominations of 2 and 5 kopecks. Although intended as a regional issue to integrate the newly acquired territories, their circulation did not remain purely local. They entered the national monetary stream and spread throughout the Empire. (As a personal note, the specific 1788 coin illustrated above was found by the author in the late 1990s in Baturyn — a historic city that was occupied by Russia at the time but remains a cultural pearl of Northern Ukraine).

• 5 Kopecks: 460,000 pieces were minted in 1787, and 499,000 in 1788.
• 2 Kopecks: Considered extremely rare today. Only 60,050 pieces were minted in 1788.

Due to their low mintage and historical significance, regular copper Tauride coins are valued by collectors much higher than their all-imperial counterparts minted at other locations during 1787-1788.

The Trial Silver Issues

In addition to the copper circulation currency, the Tauride Mint is famous for an exceedingly rare series of trial silver coins. Minted exclusively in 1787 in denominations of 2, 5, 10, and 20 kopecks, these silver pieces were specially prepared to commemorate the visit of Empress Catherine II to Feodosia. Today, they are highly sought-after museum-grade rarities.

Closure of the Mint

The existence of the Tauride Mint was remarkably short. In 1788, as another Russo-Turkish war gained momentum, the looming threat of an Ottoman invasion over Feodosia forced operations to halt. Coin production was abruptly stopped, and the mint permanently ceased to exist, cementing the Tauride TM coins as one of the shortest-lived and most fascinating regional issues in imperial numismatics.