He also included the trident symbol as a representation of his rule and the Viking dynasty he descended from. Volodymyr I modeled his delicately engraved gold zlatnyk coin after contemporary Byzantine nomisma coins issued by the Byzantine emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII, but he altered the design to feature his own portrait.
Many commodities and currencies circulated there including Roman denarii, Arabic dirhams, Byzantine miliaresia, and a wide variety of Western and Central European coins, including Bohemian deniers.ĭuring the late 10th century, Kyiv produced its first coins issued under the authority of Volodymyr I, the legendary ruler of Kyivan Rus’ who is known for his conversion to Christianity and the subsequent spread of the religion throughout the region. From the 9th to the 12th centuries, Kyiv was located at the crossroads of major European and Central Asian trade routes and was a vibrant hub of commerce and cultural interaction, centuries before the city of Moscow was founded in 1147. This movement within the vault’s storage rows mirrors the dynamic nature of the history of Ukraine. Locating the many currencies that have circulated in Ukraine over the last millennia is not as simple as unlocking a cabinet labeled “Ukraine.” Instead, you must traverse the vault following the histories of trade networks, the rise and fall of European and Asian dynasties and empires, and the related-and frequent-shifting of borders. With more than 1.6 million objects, the National Numismatic Collection spans more than 3,000 years of human history. The densely packed cabinets are organized geographically and labeled by country or region-it feels as if the whole world is inside the vault. With more than 1.6 million objects, the vast collection is matched only by its diversity with objects from every continent (save for uninhabited Antarctica), and spanning more than 3,000 years of human history. But the simplicity of its exterior obscures the treasures it holds. The cool, brightly lit room is filled with rows of gray metal cabinets and shelves stacked high with plain boxes.Īt first glance, the vault appears to be an unassuming warehouse that could store almost anything.
#The coin vault series
The vault of the National Numismatic Collection is tucked away behind a series of high-security doors at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Collecting this note initiated an unexpected journey through the vault of the National Numismatic Collection and into Ukraine’s complex history. While the note is not legal tender, it is a worthy addition to the Smithsonian’s numismatic collection because its creators used the design of money as a canvas to aptly capture what is at stake in the current war-Ukraine’s national sovereignty along with its freedom to join the European Union. A German aid association produced the note to raise funds in support of Ukrainian children.
The dove is a common symbol, but it was striking to see it at the center of the design of a euro banknote, decorated in Ukraine’s national colors of blue and gold. About a month after the Russian invasion, I came across the new “Peace for Ukraine” zero-euro note, which features a dove in flight, with a flag and olive branch clasped in its beak. Each new object I acquire enables me to tell a new story and to reveal histories already contained within the collection. Presidency of Ukraine, Handout, Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesĪs the curator of the National Numismatic Collection, I oversee an expansive collection of monetary objects that reflect the world of yesterday and today. In the days following the invasion, the trident was beamed around the world, appearing in the backdrops at press conferences (above: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February 2022) and embossed on the clothing worn by the nation’s leaders and soldiers. These coins-as well as other types of medieval money-have become a central part of how modern Ukraine tells its national story and displays its national identity. As the dynasty’s symbol, the trident appeared on the first coins minted in Kyiv around the turn of the 11th century. Encompassing all of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus and parts of Russia, this vast territory was ruled by the Rurik dynasty. The origins of the ubiquitous trident, or tryzub, lie in the medieval period when the city of Kyiv was the seat of power of a state known as Kyivan Rus’. But in the days following the invasion, the trident was beamed around the world, appearing in the backdrops at press conferences and embossed on the clothing worn by the nation’s leaders and soldiers. Before the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, few outside of the country took note of the trident symbol at the center of Ukraine’s national emblem.
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