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1 Heller 'Vertrags-Hohlringheller' - Philip
| Issuer | Hessen, Landgraviate of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1509-1537 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by a divided heraldic shield, the dexter side bearing the six-pellet roundel (Turnierkragen) of Hessen and the sinister side displaying a six-pointed star or mullet, characteristic of the Vertrags-Hohlringheller type struck under Landgrave Philip. The shield is rendered in a simple, flat relief consistent with the hammered bracteate-style technique of the period. The entire design is enclosed within a plain inner ring and a rope-like or beaded outer border following the coin's circular periphery. No legend is present; the type is identified solely by its armorial device. The coin exhibits the shallow cup-like concavity typical of Hohlringheller coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | As a Hohlringheller (hollow-ring heller), the reverse presents the incuse mirror image of the obverse design, showing the divided heraldic shield in negative relief with the pellet roundel and star motifs faintly discernible. The surface is flat to slightly concave, with no additional inscriptions or decorative elements. The plain edge and simple fabric reflect the utilitarian character of this small denomination struck for everyday circulation in the Landgraviate of Hessen. |
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| Additional information |
The "Vertrags-Heller" designation refers to a specific treaty arrangement among Hessian minting authorities aimed at regulating the chronic small-denomination coinage problem that plagued the region throughout the early sixteenth century. Philip the Magnanimous, who assumed full rule of Hesse in 1509 at age five under regency, presided over a landgraviate constantly negotiating mint conventions with neighboring territories to prevent the flooding of markets with debased pfennigs and hellers. The hohlring ("hollow ring") fabric — a thin, concave flan — was a deliberate technical choice that made counterfeiting marginally harder at this tiny module.