1 Heller 'Elisabeth-Heller' - William II

William II of Hesse ruled during a period of persistent territorial fragmentation, and small silver hellers like this one were the workhorse of daily exchange in a region where larger denominations rarely reached common hands. The "Elisabeth-Heller" designation almost certainly references the legacy of St. Elisabeth of Thuringia, whose cult was deeply embedded in Hessian civic identity — the Elisabethkirche in Marburg had been drawing pilgrims and economic activity to the region for over two centuries by the time these were struck.

The long production window of 1485–1509 means individual pieces cannot be precisely dated without die study; Probierbuch references Pr.Alex#139–141 suggest at least three distinguishable varieties were recognized early.