Expertise of authenticity of money in Russian Empire in 19th – early 20th century

The aim of this study is to determine the complete algorithm of the professional state examination of suspicious coins, and to determine the location and features of counterfeit identification. Research methodology is a set of general scientific empirical and theoretical methods. The sphragistic and palaeographic analysis was carried out during examining the samples of the counterfeit paper banknotes. The scientific novelty is that the full algorithm for sending suspicious money for examination from the place of their discovery to the place of research was completely defined. The practical significance of the work is determined by the possibility of using the findings in scientific works on the history of monetary circulation, forensic science, science and technology, as well as in the preparation of educational and methodological literature. The main results of the research. The detected suspicious coins were to be sent for verification and comparison with the authentic samples to the Mint in St. Petersburg, while paper banknotes and securities to the Assignation Bank and the Expedition of the Procurement of State Securities. Local investigators and the police have also attempted to try to determine the authenticity of counterfeit money, appealing to local jewelers, treasurers, consulting with tax collectors and other experts. In Kyiv province the suspicious coins were sent to the St. Volodymyr University, where it was possible to determine the content of the metal alloy. Such an imperfect and extensive system of examination created inconveniences and additional costs for sending samples of counterfeit for authorities. After confirmation of the falsity, the samples under investigation were destroyed (burned), and a copy of the expert opinion was sent to the relevant investigator or judicial authority. Whenever the authenticity of the investigated money was proven, sending it back was usually not practiced; the addressee was sent a receipt certificate of the amount in the local treasury, reimbursing the expenses. In rare cases, canceled fake banknotes with expert inscriptions and stamps were returned back. This led to the preservation of some samples of forgeries to our time in the fonds of historical archives.