Duke enthroned, holding a short sword, three dots under left elbow // Pseudo-arabic legends with a crowned head in the middle. 13mmx10mm, 0.62 grams. Mint of Nizhniy Novgorod (Lower Novgorod) under Moscow occupation, struck 1417-23. Guletsky/Petrunin/Fishman #1950B.

Interesting and very rare type, much nicer than this crude issue usually is.

Vasiliy I of Moscow (r. 1389–1425) was the Grand Prince of Moscow and Vladimir and a key figure in the consolidation of Russian lands in the late medieval period. The son of Dmitry Donskoy, he inherited a strengthened principality and pursued a largely diplomatic strategy to expand Moscow’s influence, securing control over territories such as Nizhny Novgorod, Murom, and parts of Novgorod’s lands. Vasiliy maintained relatively stable relations with the Golden Horde, continuing to pay tribute while avoiding major conflicts, and strengthened ties with Lithuania through his marriage to Sophia of Lithuania. His reign brought internal stability and territorial growth, laying important groundwork for Moscow’s eventual dominance under his successors.