Banknotes of Ukraine are issued by the National Bank of this state. With their help, exchange relations are carried out and citizens make cash payments. Ukrainian money has its own characteristics, distinctive features, and its own history.
Building of the National Bank of Ukraine
After the collapse of the USSR, each republic arose a need for its own funds. The first money in Ukraine was created by Vasily Lopata and other authors. In the spring of 1991, the most sought-after artists of the former USSR (namely those who were located on the territory of the Ukrainian republic) were invited to create Ukrainian paper money. They had to develop sketches.
The group included:
- A. Danchenko - Ukrainian folk artist;
- V. Perevalsky - Honored Worker of Ukrainian Art;
- S. Yakutovich, V. Yurchishin - honored artists, etc.
The development of the appearance of money took place under the strict control of a special commission created by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. In addition, supervision was carried out by commissions on economic reforms and management of the national economy and working on cultural issues and spiritual revival. People's deputies took part in the process.
In order for the money to be issued in 1992, the sketches were reviewed by the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada. Leonid Kravchuk approved the prepared drawings.
From September 2 to September 16, 1996, a monetary reform was carried out in the state. The national Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia, was introduced into circulation. Nominal value of banknotes in circulation: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 hryvnia.
Latest changes
In 2016, 500 hryvnia of a new type entered into monetary circulation. At the same time, residents of the country did not need to change old banknotes. The new banknote has distinctive features in structure, design and security elements.
In addition, there were many more important events, for example, the baptism of Rus'. This banknote was originally printed in Canada during the existence of the USSR, but in 1992, after certain transformations, it appeared in Ukraine.
If the price of a product or service is 2 hryvnia, then you can pay with the corresponding banknote with the image of Yaroslav the Wise. This is an outstanding personality in the history of the state, as he is the Grand Duke of Kyiv. The reverse side shows the Hagia Sophia.
There are banknotes whose nominal price is 5 hryvnia. They depict the brave statesman and military leader Bogdan Khmelnytsky. On the second side is the Elias Church. It has a long history, as it was built back in 1653.
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Paper money is also represented by a banknote, the cost of which is 10 UAH. It contains an image of Ivan Mazepa - hetman of the Left Bank of Ukraine. On the other side is a picture of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
The banknote, the price of which is 20 hryvnia, is presented with the image of Ivan Frank. He is an outstanding personality, writer and scientist, public figure. On the other side is the Lviv Opera House.
50 hryvnia is a banknote printed in the UK. She was published with a portrait of the famous Ukrainian figure Mikhail Grushevsky. At one time he was a member of the Academy of Sciences, which existed in the USSR.
If we consider more expensive banknotes, the 100 hryvnia banknote is represented by the image of a very famous person all over the world - Taras Shevchenko. It was first printed in Great Britain. On the other side there is the Sofia Bell Tower and the monument to St. Vladimir.
200 hryvnia is the only banknote on which a portrait of a woman is printed. She became the famous Ukrainian poetess Lesya Ukrainka. On the reverse side there is an image of Lutsk Castle.
More rare banknotes in use are 500 hryvnia. Grigory Skovoroda is posted on them. This is a well-known thinker in Ukraine, who at one time did a lot for the development of his state. If you turn the banknote over, you can see the Kiev-Mohyla Academy on it.
Almost all banknotes were reprinted several times. In this regard, each denomination can be found in circulation in several variations, while colors, sizes, designs and other elements may differ.
New coins in denominations of 1 and 2 hryvnia will appear in circulation at the end of April.
The National Bank of Ukraine presented. They will gradually replace paper banknotes of the corresponding denomination.
Coins in denominations of 1 and 2 hryvnia will be put into circulation on April 27, 2018. And 5 and 10 hryvnia - in 2019 and 2020 (the exact dates are not yet known).
The regulator noted that they will not specifically confiscate paper banknotes. They will simply stop printing them and will not replenish money circulation with them. The new coins will operate in parallel with the old-style paper hryvnia.
The NBU explained that coins can last up to 20 years, while paper coins can last only a year. Accordingly, a planned replacement of money will help save up to 1 billion UAH on printing it. Every year, the NBU has to withdraw from circulation about 800 million pieces of worn-out banknotes, almost half of which are in denominations from 1 to 10 UAH.
“The National Bank of Ukraine is responsible for issuing the national currency and organizing cash circulation. These are the provisions of the law on the National Bank. Part of this task is the optimization of cash circulation, aimed at increasing convenience and reducing public costs for its implementation. In international practice, nominal series have an average of 12 denominations of banknotes. And we must strive for this,” said Acting Chairman of the NBU Yakov Smoliy.
Another reason for the replacement of money is the constant increase in non-cash payments.
“We are also stimulated to this decision by the development of non-cash payments, the change in the purchasing power of the hryvnia over the past 20 years and changes in consumer behavior. The development of non-cash payments leads to a decrease in the number of denominations in the denomination series of countries around the world. And Ukraine is no exception. The share of non-cash payments in Ukraine using payment cards over the past five years has grown more than three times - to 39% at the beginning of 2018 (from 12% at the beginning of 2013)," Smoliy said.
New coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5 and 10 hryvnia will be silver in color, small in size, and light.
"While working on their design, we decided to be consistent and preserve the portraits of prominent Ukrainian personalities who are depicted on the corresponding banknotes. The reverse of the coin with a nominal value of 1 hryvnia depicts a portrait of Prince Vladimir the Great; 2 hryvnia - Prince Yaroslav the Wise; 5 hryvnia - Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky ; 10 hryvnia – Hetman Ivan Mazepa,” said Viktor Zaivenko, director of the NBU Monetary Circulation Department.
The obverse of all coins depicts the small State Emblem of Ukraine (trident), the denomination, and the name of the issuing country (Ukraine) framed by an ancient Russian ornament.
Among the security elements of a coin that need to be used during visual and tactile verification of its authenticity are the design of the obverse and reverse, the design of the edge (the appropriate type of corrugation) and small elements of images that are difficult to reproduce in artisanal conditions.
During the automated recalculation of coins on special equipment, technical characteristics are used to identify them - size and weight, as well as the so-called electromagnetic signature - an electronic signal characteristic of a particular material.
The NBU promises to publish information with a detailed description of the new everyday coins on its website on March 26.
TSN.ua
Note that . They will be gradually withdrawn from circulation. Accordingly, from July 1, 2018, all checks will round up amounts to those divisible by 10 kopecks. The rules for rounding the total purchase amount are as follows: the amount that ends with 1 to 4 kopecks is rounded down to the nearest amount that ends with 0 kopecks; an amount that ends with 5 to 9 kopecks is rounded up to the nearest amount that ends with 0 kopecks. At the same time, if the buyer and cashier have small kopecks, the amounts may not be rounded off. During non-cash payments, pennies will not be rounded.
Hryvnia is a monetary unit of Ancient Rus' and other Slavic countries. Already in the 8th - 9th centuries, when carrying out trade operations and paying tribute, it was used as a measure of weight and counting.
The name “hryvnia” comes from the name of an ornament made of gold or silver in the form of a hoop, which was worn around the neck (i.e., on the “back of the neck”) and was called hryvnia. The hryvnia was considered a luxury item; only rich people could afford it.
Since the 11th century, in Kievan Rus, “Kievan” hryvnias were in circulation, which were made of silver, had a hexagonal shape and weighed 150 grams. They existed before the Tatar-Mongol invasion. In the north-western lands there were also “Novgorod hryvnias”, which from the middle of the 13th century spread to the entire territory of the Old Russian state. They looked like long silver sticks, weighed 240 grams and existed until the end of the 15th century. Transitional from the “Kyiv” to the “Novgorod” was the “Chernigov” hryvnia, in shape it was very close to the “Kyiv” one, and in weight - to the “Novgorod” one.
In the 15th century, due to the increase in the scale of coinage and their continuous deterioration, the hryvnia bullion ceased to be a monetary unit. The hryvnia continued to exist only as a unit of weight and existed until the 18th century only as a weight coin - “hryvnia”.
In the 13th century in Novgorod, half of a cut hryvnia began to be called “ruble.” Gradually, the ruble (in Ukrainian “karbovanets”) replaced the hryvnia and established itself as a monetary unit of account, and later became the main unit of the Russian monetary system.
On March 1, 1918, after the proclamation of Ukraine as an independent state, the Central Rada adopted a law introducing a new monetary unit - the hryvnia, which was divided into 100 steps and equal to 1/2 karbovanets. Throughout 1918, banknotes were printed in Berlin in denominations of 2, 10, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 hryvnia. The hryvnia was introduced into monetary circulation on October 17, 1918 and withdrawn from circulation during the monetary reform of 1922 - 1924.
The Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR decided to print its own currency back in the days of the Soviet Union - in May 1991. Initially, according to the Soviet model, it was planned to issue banknotes in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 hryvnia, but in the end the American model was adopted by replacing the 3 and 25 banknotes with 2 and 20, respectively. The design of the banknotes was approved in 1992, and the Ukrainian hryvnia entered circulation in 1996 - after the decree of President Leonid Kuchma of August 25 “On monetary reform in Ukraine”.
On March 2, 1992, the following coin denominations were approved: 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50 kopecks and 1 hryvnia. Coins in denominations of 3, 15 and 20 kopecks were not released into circulation.
On January 10, 1992, temporary Ukrainian banknotes called coupons and denominated in rubles were put into circulation. Officially, they were called Karbovanets and existed until 1996, taking the entire inflationary blow upon themselves. On September 2, 1996, the exchange of karbovanets for hryvnia began in the ratio of 100,000 krb = 1 UAH. From that day on, only hryvnias were issued in banks. The exchange procedure continued until 1998.
In 1996 - 2007, the National Bank of Ukraine carried out about 18 issues - putting into circulation the main denominations of the hryvnia ("old" samples: 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, and "new": 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007). Today there are nine denominations of the Ukrainian hryvnia in circulation: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 UAH.
In March 2004, the National Bank of Ukraine approved the graphic sign of the national currency - the hryvnia. It consists of a lowercase handwritten letter “g” crossed out in the middle by two horizontal lines. 1 hryvnia = 100 kopecks. The alphabetic currency code in the ISO 4217 standard is UAH, the digital one is 980.
Ukrainian money is the equivalent of the cost of goods and services, and also performs many other functions.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE INTRODUCTION OF UKRAINIAN HRYVNA BANKNOTES TO CIRCULATION
On September 2, 1996, the National Bank introduced banknotes with the following denominations:
- 1 hryvnia (1992 model and 1994 model),
- 2 hryvnia (1992 model),
- 5 hryvnia (1992 model),
- 10 hryvnia (1992 model),
- 20 hryvnia (1992 model),
- 50 hryvnia,
- 100 hryvnia.
On September 1, 1997, banknotes in denominations were introduced:
- 1 hryvnia (1995 model),
- 2 hryvnia (1995 model),
- 5 hryvnia (1994 model),
- 10 hryvnia (1994 model),
- 20 hryvnia (1995 model).
On September 1, 1998, a 5 hryvnia banknote (1997 model) was introduced into circulation.
On November 8, 2000, a 10 hryvnia banknote (2000 model) was introduced into circulation.
On November 20, 2000, a 20 hryvnia banknote (2000 model) was introduced into circulation.
On March 5, 2001, a 5 hryvnia banknote (2001 model) was introduced into circulation.
On July 6, 2001, a 2 hryvnia banknote (2001 model) was introduced into circulation.
On August 22, 2001, a 200 hryvnia banknote was introduced into circulation.
On December 1, 2003, a 20 hryvnia banknote (2003 model) was introduced into circulation.
On March 29, 2004, a 50 hryvnia banknote (2004 model) was introduced into circulation.
On June 14, 2004, a 5 hryvnia banknote (2004 model) was introduced into circulation.
On September 28, 2004, a 2 hryvnia banknote (2004 model) was introduced into circulation.
On November 1, 2004, a 10 hryvnia banknote (2004 model) was introduced into circulation.
On December 1, 2004, a 1 hryvnia banknote (2004 model) was introduced into circulation.
On February 20, 2006, a 100 hryvnia banknote (2005 model) was introduced into circulation.
On May 22, 2006, a 1 hryvnia banknote (2006 model) was introduced into circulation.
In August 2006, a 10 hryvnia banknote of the 2004 model (issued in 2006) was put into circulation.
On September 15, 2006, a 500 hryvnia banknote was introduced into circulation.
On May 28, 2007, a 200 hryvnia banknote was introduced into circulation.
MODERN UKRAINIAN HRYVNA BANKNOTES
Over the 17 years of its existence, the hryvnia changed its design three times, but its main features remained the same. In 1994 - 95, the appearance of the hryvnia changed due to the weak protection of previous banknotes from counterfeiting. This mainly concerned only small denominations of 1, 2, 5,10 and 20 hryvnia. In 2004 - 2006, the design was changed due to the lack of expression of the color - older people confused the 2, 10 and 20 hryvnia bills. The colors became brighter, and the sizes of banknotes were made different: small denominations were smaller, large denominations were larger.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 1 UAH obverse.
The front side depicts a Portrait of Prince Vladimir the Great, the Prince of Kyiv, under whom the baptism of Rus' took place. Also known as Vladimir the Saint, Vladimir the Baptist and Vladimir the Red Sun. Under the portrait, on the right, there is the inscription “VLADIMIR THE GREAT”.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 1 UAH reverse.
The central design element of the reverse side of the banknote is the image of the City of Vladimir in Kyiv, to the right of which there is an artistic composition that includes a military weapon, a cross and a decorative element from the time of Vladimir the Great. The 2011 1 UAH banknote measures 118 x 63 mm.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 2 UAH obverse.
The front side depicts a portrait of Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Duke of Kyiv (1016-1018, 1019-1054), son of the baptist Prince Vladimir the Great. Under the portrait, on the right, there is the inscription “Yaroslav the Wise”.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 2 UAH reverse.
The central design element of the reverse side of the banknote is an image of the Hagia Sophia in dark brown. To the right of the cathedral there is an artistic composition, including military weapons, household items and decorative elements from the time of Yaroslav the Wise, as well as a collection of laws “Russian Truth”. The color of the composition ranges from dark brown to cherry. The 2011 2 UAH banknote measures 118 x 63 mm.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 5 UAH obverse.
To the right of the center of the front side of the banknote is a portrait of Bohdan Khmelnitsky, hetman of the Zaporozhye Army, commander and statesman. Under the portrait, on the right, there is the inscription “Bogdan Khmelnitsky”. These design elements are painted in dark blue.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 5 UAH reverse. 
The central design element of the reverse side of the banknote is the image of the Elias Church in the village of Subotov. The color of the image changes from dark blue to dark brown. To the right of the church are depicted Cossack weapons and hetman kleynods of dark blue color. The 2011 5 UAH banknote measures 118 x 63 mm.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 10 UAH obverse.
The front side depicts a Portrait of Ivan Mazepa, statesman and political figure, hetman of the Zaporozhye Army. Under the portrait, on the right, there is the inscription "IVAN MAZEPA".
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 10 UAH reverse.
The central design element of the reverse side of the banknote is the brown image of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. To the right of the cathedral there is an artistic composition that includes attributes of the life and work of Ivan Mazepa. The color of the composition changes from brown to burgundy. The 2011 10 UAH banknote measures 124 x 66 mm.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 20 UAH obverse. 
To the right of the center of the front side of the banknote is a portrait of Ivan Franko - writer, poet, scientist and publicist. Under the portrait, on the right, there is the inscription "IVAN FRANKO". In the central part of the banknote there is a text - a facsimile excerpt from the work of Ivan Franko.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 20 UAH reverse.
The central design element of the reverse side of the banknote is a graphic image of an architectural structure with the inscription “LVIV OPERA THEATER” in the lower left corner. The color of the image from the middle to the edges changes from brown to blue. To the right of the central element is an image of a sculpture symbolizing “Glory”, made in dark green. The 2011 20 UAH banknote measures 130 x 69 mm.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 50 UAH obverse.
To the right of the center of the front side of the banknote is a portrait of Mykhailo Grushevsky, a famous Ukrainian historian, public and political figure. Under the portrait, on the right, there is the inscription “Mikhail Grushevsky”. These design elements are painted brown.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 50 UAH reverse.
The central design element of the reverse side of the banknote is the image of the building of the Ukrainian Central Council. On both sides of the house there are figures of a worker and a peasant woman. The color of these images changes from dark blue to dark brown. The 2011 50 UAH banknote measures 136 x 72 mm.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 100 UAH obverse.
To the right of the center of the front side of the banknote is a portrait of Taras Shevchenko - poet, prose writer, artist and ethnographer. Under the portrait, on the right, there is the inscription "TARAS SHEVCHENKO". These design elements are painted in dark olive color.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 100 UAH reverse.
The background of the central part of the reverse side of the banknote is formed by the Dnieper near Cherkassy and Chernechya Mountain. To the right of the center there are figures: a blind bandura player with a guide boy, a fragment of a painting by Shevchenko. The color of these images goes from cherry to purple-black. The 2011 100 UAH banknote measures 142 x 75 mm.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 200 UAH obverse.
To the left of the center of the front side of the banknote is a portrait of Lesya Ukrainka, a Ukrainian poet and writer. Near the portrait, below, on the right, there is the inscription “Lesya Ukrainka” and the years of her life in purple.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 200 UAH reverse.
The central design element of the reverse side of the banknote is an artistic composition containing an image of an architectural structure - a tower (on the right) and storks in flight - in the middle of the banknote. The composition is printed with a color transition (from left to right) from burgundy to dark blue. The inscription “entrance tower of Lutsk Castle” is dark blue, made in calligraphic font and forms an arc to the right of the building. Under the image of the stork there is the inscription “Kyiv 2007” in burgundy color. The 2011 200 UAH banknote measures 148 x 75 mm.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 500 UAH obverse.
To the left of the center of the front side of the banknote there is a portrait of Grigory Skovoroda, a Ukrainian philosopher, poet and teacher, made with dark brown paint. Near the portrait, below, on the right, there is the inscription “Gregory SKOVORODA” and the years of the artist’s life in green.
Ukrainian hryvnia photo. Banknote 500 UAH reverse.
The background of the central part of the reverse side of the banknote forms an image of the building of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, the color of which changes from green to blue. Below the image, on the left, is the inscription “Kyiv 2006” in green. Above the image of the building, to the right of the middle, there is a decorative element in the form of a negative image of the seal of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, which was used in the 18th century. The 2006 500 UAH banknote measures 154 x 75 mm.
In 2008, the aesthetics commission of the International Financial Bank recognized the Ukrainian hryvnia, Australian and American dollars, euro and Bulgarian lion as the most beautiful currencies in the world.
MODERN UKRAINIAN COINS
The first coins were minted in 1992, but did not enter circulation until September 2, 1996. Currently in circulation there are change coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 kopecks and circulating coins of 1 hryvnia.
On the reverse of the Ukrainian 1 hryvnia of 2002, the denomination is indicated in the center with a large number “1”, below the text designation “HRYVNYA”. On the right and left there is a floral ornament of a vine with four bunches of grapes (two on each side).
On the obverse of 1 hryvnia of 2002, in the center of the coin there is an image of a trident - the small State Emblem of Ukraine, on either side of it there are oak leaves with two spikelets. Three awns emerge from each ear vertically upward. Under the right ornament of oak leaves and ears of corn there is a mint mark (logo of the NBU Banknote and Mint). At the top of the coin is the inscription “UKRAINE” (UKRAINE), under the coat of arms is the year of issue of the coin - “2002”.
For collection purposes, commemorative and anniversary coins are issued in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 125, 200, 250, 500 hryvnia. Gold and silver are widely used in the production of investment coins, for example, investment coins are produced - silver (fineness - 999.9) with a face value of 1 hryvnia and gold (fineness - 999.9) with a face value of 2, 5, 10, 20 hryvnia.
Since 2004, instead of the 1 hryvnia coin of the 1995 model, a circulating coin of the same denomination has been issued with the image of Vladimir the Great on the reverse (his image is also placed on 1 hryvnia banknotes). Circulating coins with a face value of 1 hryvnia with an obverse similar to the obverse of the circulating coin with a face value of 1 hryvnia “Vladimir the Great” were also put into circulation:
- October 25, 2004 - coin “60 years of the liberation of Ukraine from fascist invaders”,
- April 28, 2005 - coin “60 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945”,
- April 28, 2010 - commemorative coin “65 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945”,
- March 1, 2012 - commemorative coin “Final tournament of the European Football Championship 2012”.
The coins of Ukraine are quite monotonous and almost identical in the design that is minted on them. All Ukrainian coins have a regular round radial shape. Coins in denominations of 1, 2 and 5 kopecks are made of stainless steel, and coins of other denominations are made of brass.
In Ancient Rus' and in other lands of the Slavs, the hryvnia was the main weight, monetary weight and monetary accounting unit. It is known that in Rus' a hryvnia was a decoration in the form of a hoop, worn on the neck (scruff), made of gold or silver. However, over time, this word acquired a new meaning. It began to denote a certain measure of precious metal. That is, the ancient silver hryvnia became a monetary unit. With the development of commodity-money relations, for the convenience of calculation, the hryvnia began to consist of a certain number of identical coins. This hryvnia was called “hryvnia-kun”, that is, it became a monetary unit of account.
Therefore, the ancient hryvnia kun (counting) and the hryvnia of silver (weight) on the territory of the Old Russian state became a means of payment, the very first money in Rus' was formed -.
At first, the weight of one and the other hryvnia was the same. However, due to the unstable weight of various foreign coins and the change in the status of the hryvnia itself as a unit of weight, the silver hryvnia began to include several hryvnia kunas.
So, for example, a silver hryvnia (weight 204 grams) in the 12th century was equal in value to four hryvnia-kun (weight 51 grams). In turn, the hryvnia-kun consisted of a certain number of smaller coins (units of account). In the 11th century, the hryvnia-kun consisted of 20 nogat=25 kun=50 rezan, and in the 12th century the hryvnia-kun was equal to 20 nogat or 50 kun. Within one century, the value of the kuna was halved.
When in Rus' they had not yet learned how to make the very first coins “zlatnik” and “sererenik”, and the supply of coins from other foreign countries stopped. Then the ancient hryvnias were formed, which became the main form of monetary circulation on the territory of Rus'. These were irredeemable silver bars (the ancient hryvnia of Rus'). Now they are confidently called the very first money - the ancient hryvnia of Rus'. In the history of Russian monetary circulation, this period began to be called coinless. This period lasted from the 12th to the 14th centuries. 
Starting from the 11th century, “Kievan ancient hryvnias” were in circulation on the territory of Kievan Rus, having a hexagonal shape and weighing 163-164 grams. Before the Mongol-Tatar invasion, such hryvnias served as a means of payment and a means of accumulation. However, the “Novgorod ancient hryvnia of Rus'” had an even more important place in the monetary circulation of Rus'. It was they, as the very first money, that began to circulate first in the north-west of Rus', and then until the middle of the 13th century they spread throughout its entire territory of Kievan Rus.
In shape they were long silver sticks weighing about 240 grams. As a transitional option between the Novgorod and Kyiv hryvnias, there was . She was like the weight, and the shape was like the Kiev one.
Tatar hryvnias are also known, which were often found in the Volga region along with Tatar coins clinked in the 14th century. They were shaped like a boat. Another variety of these ancient silver bars is very interesting and unusual -.
How ancient hryvnia formed the ruble and why the very first money is the ancient hryvnia of Rus'
Starting from the 13th century, along with the name “hryvnia”, the word “ruble” began to be actively used, gradually replacing the word hryvnia. 
The relationship between the ruble and the hryvnia is interpreted differently in different sources. In the book “The Hoary Antiquity of Moscow,” which was published in 1893, I.K. Kondratiev explains that rubles were pieces of silver with notches that indicated their weight or parts of a hryvnia. Each hryvnia consisted of four parts. The silver hryvnia had the shape of a rod, which was cut into 4 parts, and the name ruble most likely comes from the meaning “to chop.”
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia explained that ancient hryvnias were cut in half and each part was called a ruble. There is also a version that a silver bar called “ruble” weighed the same as a silver bar called “hryvnia”. However, the ruble, unlike the ancient hryvnia, was made using different technologies and had a seam on the edge.
When studying the very first money, it is necessary to clarify the meaning of words. In Belarusian, Ukrainian and Polish, the word “rub” meant a tripe, and in Serbian it meant a border or a seam. Therefore, the word ruble can be interpreted as “an ingot with a seam.” 
With the onset of the 15th century, the ancient hryvnia bullion as units of payment ceased to satisfy the commodity-money system, as the minting of coins increased. From that time on, the ruble became firmly established as the concept of a monetary unit of account, and over time it became the main unit of the established Russian monetary system. The ancient hryvnia of Rus' was losing its relevance.
The hryvnia continued to exist as a unit of weight; its weight was equal to 204.75 grams, until it was replaced by a pound in the 18th century (the hryvnia was equal to half a pound). As a unit of weight, the hryvnia was divided into 48 spools (the mass of each spool is 4.26 grams), the spool was divided into 25 kidneys (the mass of the kidney is 0.17 grams). The weight of 204 grams became the standard for minting Russian coins.
In various historical eras, the term “hryvnia” was used to describe coins made of copper of various denominations and silver.
And today we can say with confidence that the ancient hryvnia, or as they are also called the ancient hryvnia of Rus', are the most