1/2 Thaler - Philip Moritz

Philip Moritz ruled Hanau-Münzenberg for less than a decade, and his coinage falls squarely within the monetary chaos of the Kipper- und Wipperzeit — the currency crisis of 1619–1623 in which debasement spread across the German states like contagion, with minor rulers and municipal mints racing to strike underweight coins before their neighbors could pass them back. Hanau-Münzenberg was no innocent bystander in this debacle.

The 1623–1624 date range for this half thaler coincides with the reform period, when stricter imperial standards were being reimposed after years of degraded coinage. Suchier's documentation of this type remains the authoritative local reference for Hanau issues.