Horseman advancing right, brandishing a sable / Inscription in three lines "KNYAZ/VELIKI/IVAN" ("Grand Duke Ivan"). 11mm, 0.39 grams. Moscow mint, minted 1535-1545. Griszin Group III.

Ivan IV Vasilyevich, known as Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584), was the first Tsar of Russia and a transformative yet ruthless ruler whose reign profoundly shaped Russian history. Crowned as a Grand Duke in 1533 and as Tsar in 1547, he centralized power, reformed the military and government, and expanded Russian territory dramatically through conquests in Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia. However, his rule was also marked by extreme violence, especially during the Oprichnina period, when he unleashed terror on the nobility and suspected traitors, leading to mass executions and widespread fear. Ivan's unpredictable and often brutal behavior, including the killing of his own son, has made him one of history's most controversial monarchs. Despite his tyranny, he laid the groundwork for the Russian Empire's future expansion and autocracy.

SKU x13519-w76848