Courtesy of the Smithsonian, 1 Hryvnia Note

featuring a portrait of Volodymyr I, 2014 NMAH, Public Domain

Per Ellen Feingold, Curator, National Numismatic Collection, writing at Smithsonian Magazine:

Before the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, few outside of the country took note of the trident symbol at the center of Ukraine’s national emblem. But in the days following the invasion, the trident was beamed around the world, appearing in the backdrops at press conferences and embossed on the clothing worn by the nation’s leaders and soldiers.

The origins of the ubiquitous trident, or tryzub, lie in the medieval period when the city of Kyiv was the seat of power of a state known as Kyivan Rus’. Encompassing all of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus and parts of Russia, this vast territory was ruled by the Rurik dynasty. As the dynasty’s symbol, the trident appeared on the first coins minted in Kyiv around the turn of the 11th century. These coins—as well as other types of medieval money—have become a central part of how modern Ukraine tells its national story and displays its national identity.

…

From the 9th to the 12th centuries, Kyiv was located at the crossroads of major European and Central Asian trade routes and was a vibrant hub of commerce and cultural interaction, centuries before the city of Moscow was founded in 1147. Many commodities and currencies circulated there including Roman denarii, Arabic dirhams, Byzantine miliaresia, and a wide variety of Western and Central European coins, including Bohemian deniers.

During the late 10th century, Kyiv produced its first coins issued under the authority of Volodymyr I, the legendary ruler of Kyivan Rus’ who is known for his conversion to Christianity and the subsequent spread of the religion throughout the region. Volodymyr I modeled his delicately engraved gold zlatnyk coin after contemporary Byzantine nomisma coins issued by the Byzantine emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII, but he altered the design to feature his own portrait. He also included the trident symbol as a representation of his rule and the Viking dynasty he descended from. Volodymyr’s gold coins together with his silver coins, which also featured the trident, were a powerful assertion of his authority and the state that he ruled.

Glory to Ukraine!