Hello,
This isn’t the first thread about new Russian coin entries, so let me explain the context. The updates are being made by @Trooper8 , who is doing excellent work based on the Bitkin catalogue that is the most comprehensive reference available online for collectors of Russian coins and widely regarded here as a standard.
These updates include adding new variants, splitting existing pages, adding rare patterns, correcting errors, and introducing subtypes. The three coins you mentioned are examples of this effort.
To address your specific question: the pages were split based on weight differences. I’ve since added clarifications to the headings of the light types to make the distinctions clearer.
I don’t know for certain whether all these splits are strictly necessary, but I’ve chosen to support the initiative. Master referees are free to correct us if we’re wrong.
A side note: when I agreed to be the referee for the Russian catalogue, I noticed that my interest is mostly in pre-1717 wire coins. Therefore I would very much welcome a co-referee for the post-1700 period and this request is still open. Due to my job change I no longer have as much time for the hobby, including Numista upkeep. So if anyone is interested in becoming a co-referee (or sole referee) for Russian Empire coins, please reach out to me or @Jarcek