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Soviet coins (at least post 1961) were designed explicitly with this application in mind. 1, 2, 3, and 5 kopeck coins weighed their value in grams. They could

Soviet coins (at least post 1961) were designed explicitly with this application in mind. 1, 2, 3, and 5 kopeck coins weighed their value in grams. They could also be used to estimate lengths; 1 kopeck was 15 mm in diameter and 5 kopeck was 25 mm.

t-3 2y ago
That's a very cool intentionally usefully design. What's the rationale behind a 3-kopeck coin though? I don't think I've seen a '3' denomination in any other currency.
- BoxOfRain 2y ago
  I think pre-decimal pound sterling coins had a 3p coin, but it makes more sense in that context.
  - alistairSH 2y ago
    Kopecks are 100th of a ruble. If they were ever a non-decimal value, it predates the early 20th century.
- georgecmu 2y ago
  So I never looked into it closely, but I knew that the 3 and 15 kopeck coins had names of their own of Tatar origin, so it had to have had a long history. According to wikipedia [1,2,3], as a physical coin it was minted periodically throughout Russian history. The Tatar origin of its informal historical name is either 'gold'[4] or 'six'[5]. It was last introduced in 1839-1841 and persisted into Soviet period, until 1991 when it was discontinued by the newly independent Russia. The 1/2/3/5 weight system had to be of the Soviet design, since the metric system was adopted following the Bolshevik revolution, but the weights and dimensions haven't changed since 1926 [6]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruble#Russia's_coins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruble#Russia's_coins [2] https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%80%D0%B8_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%BA%D0%B8 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%80%D0%B8_%D0%BA%D0%B... [3] https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%BD_(%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0) https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%BD... [4] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%BD https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%B... [5] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_ruble#Coins,_1924%E2%80%931961 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_ruble#Coins,_1924%E2%80...
deleted 2y ago
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askvictor 2y ago
The Australian $1 coin weighs exactly 9g and is 25mm.

t-3 2y ago

That's a very cool intentionally usefully design. What's the rationale behind a 3-kopeck coin though? I don't think I've seen a '3' denomination in any other currency.

BoxOfRain 2y ago
I think pre-decimal pound sterling coins had a 3p coin, but it makes more sense in that context.
- alistairSH 2y ago
  Kopecks are 100th of a ruble. If they were ever a non-decimal value, it predates the early 20th century.
georgecmu 2y ago
So I never looked into it closely, but I knew that the 3 and 15 kopeck coins had names of their own of Tatar origin, so it had to have had a long history. According to wikipedia [1,2,3], as a physical coin it was minted periodically throughout Russian history. The Tatar origin of its informal historical name is either 'gold'[4] or 'six'[5]. It was last introduced in 1839-1841 and persisted into Soviet period, until 1991 when it was discontinued by the newly independent Russia. The 1/2/3/5 weight system had to be of the Soviet design, since the metric system was adopted following the Bolshevik revolution, but the weights and dimensions haven't changed since 1926 [6]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruble#Russia's_coins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruble#Russia's_coins [2] https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%80%D0%B8_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%BA%D0%B8 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%80%D0%B8_%D0%BA%D0%B... [3] https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%BD_(%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0) https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%BD... [4] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%BD https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%B... [5] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%8B [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_ruble#Coins,_1924%E2%80%931961 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_ruble#Coins,_1924%E2%80...

deleted 2y ago

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askvictor 2y ago

The Australian $1 coin weighs exactly 9g and is 25mm.