1 Groschen - Wolfgang George

Wolfgang George ruled Stolberg-Stolberg during the opening years of the Thirty Years' War, a conflict that devastated the region's economy and disrupted minting operations across the German territories. Small silver groschen of this type circulated in a monetary environment increasingly destabilized by the Kipper- und Wipperzeit — the currency debasement crisis of 1618–1623 — when unscrupulous minters across the Empire systematically reduced silver content, flooding circulation with debased coin. Stolberg issues from this window are frequently found alongside contemporary forgeries that are nearly indistinguishable by weight alone.