Russian Silver Rouble.
click to enlarge
In the reign of Alexis-Michailovich, father of Peter the Great, the annual revenue of the government was but five millions of silver roubles, notwithstanding which his court was one of the most magnificent in Europe. He maintained a numerous army, and left, at his death, considerable -sums of money. At the close of the reign of Peter the Great, the revenues had doubled, being over ten millions of roubles. The poll-tax produced four millions three hundred thousand roubles; the customs, one million two hundred thousand ; the tax on brandy, one million ; and the salt-tax, seven hundred thousand. In 1770, under Catherine II., the revenue was over one hundred millions, and at a later period of her reign it reached one hundred and seventy millions. In 1804, the revenue approached one hundred and nine millions. At the present time it is not under five hundred millions of roubles annually.
The most important article of the revenue is the farming out of the manufacture of brandy, which produces one hundred and thirty millions of roubles. The customs occupy the next rank, and exceed one hundred millions of roubles; the poll-tax is about eighty millions; the obrak, or land-tax, produces from thirty to forty millions; the tax on guilds, or on the capital of merchants, from twenty to twenty-five millions ; the postoffice about fifteen millions; patents, three or four millions; stamps, three or four millions ; mines, twenty millions. To this must be added the appanages, the rents of the farms, the monopoly of tobacco, the duty on cards, the imposts on salt, and the crown manufactories, making in the aggregate the annual amount of five hundred millions of roubles previously mentioned.
see more - The Imperial Government