Zutphen's civic mint operated under persistent tension with the dukes of Guelders throughout the fifteenth century, with the city periodically asserting independent minting rights that the duke's administration contested. The half albus denomination served small-scale trade along the IJssel corridor, where Zutphen functioned as a Hanseatic staple town with active Rhine and overland connections.
The Levinson references distinguish two die varieties within this narrow two-year window, suggesting the civic mint was actively recutting working dies — consistent with a short but productive striking campaign rather than a single run.
Zutphen's civic mint operated under persistent tension with the dukes of Guelders throughout the fifteenth century, with the city periodically asserting independent minting rights that the duke's administration contested. The half albus denomination served small-scale trade along the IJssel corridor, where Zutphen functioned as a Hanseatic staple town with active Rhine and overland connections.
The Levinson references distinguish two die varieties within this narrow two-year window, suggesting the civic mint was actively recutting working dies — consistent with a short but productive striking campaign rather than a single run.