1 Ruble Russian Empire (1720-1917) Silver Jelisaweta I Petrowna ( ...

Elizabeth Petrovna was the daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I, born December 18, 1709. Her parents married in secret in December of 1707; however, their marriage was made public in February of 1712. Due to the secrecy of her parents’ marriage during the time of her birth, Elizabeth’s opponents questioned her legitimacy and right to the throne. Upon the death of Peter II, Anna Ioannovna, a niece of Peter the Great was named empress of Russia in place of Elizabeth. The Empress Anna died October 17, 1740, at which time the infant Ivan VI was proclaimed emperor of Russia. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was gaining support, including that of the military. On November 25, 1741, Petrovna seized power as the result of a daring coup with help from regiments of the Russian army. Wearing a dress and armored breast plate, Elizabeth stormed the Winter Palace with her forces and arrested the infant Emperor Ivan VI Antonovich. Elizabeth officially took the throne December 6, 1741. While the new empress made a promise to do away with the death penalty, she of course had other ways of making someone disappear. Ivan VI spent the remainder of his life in prison, until his death in 1764 during a fouled attempt to free him. During the reign of Elizabeth, mention of the previous Czar Ivan VI was forbidden. While in prison, he was even referred to as “the nameless one” and his guards were given specific instructions not to educate him. It was also instructed that if someone were to try and free him or if he attempted escape, the former emperor was to be put to death immediately.This coin offers further affirmation of Elizabeth’s desire to eradicate Ivan’s memory from the Russian populace.