1 Dreier 'Kerzendreier'

The "Kerzendreier" — candle three — takes its nickname from the tall, thin flan that resulted from Nuremberg's response to the Kipper- und Wipperzeit, the catastrophic currency debasement crisis that swept the Holy Roman Empire around 1619–1622. Municipal mints across the Empire were slashing silver content to exploit exchange rate differentials, and Nuremberg, though more fiscally conservative than many, was not immune to the pressure. The unusually narrow, elongated planchet distinguishes this issue immediately from contemporary small silver.