Leopold Eberhard was the last ruling count of Montbéliard, and by 1716 his administration was financially and politically unraveling. A Württemberg cadet branch had held the county since the 15th century, but Leopold Eberhard's erratic governance — including a notorious scandal involving his morganatic marriages and the fathering of dozens of illegitimate children he attempted to legitimize — alienated both his subjects and the imperial court. The county reverted to the main Württemberg line upon his death in 1723.
Small silver kreuzer issues of this period from Montbéliard are genuinely scarce; the county's mint output was irregular, and few pieces survived in collectible condition.
Leopold Eberhard was the last ruling count of Montbéliard, and by 1716 his administration was financially and politically unraveling. A Württemberg cadet branch had held the county since the 15th century, but Leopold Eberhard's erratic governance — including a notorious scandal involving his morganatic marriages and the fathering of dozens of illegitimate children he attempted to legitimize — alienated both his subjects and the imperial court. The county reverted to the main Württemberg line upon his death in 1723.
Small silver kreuzer issues of this period from Montbéliard are genuinely scarce; the county's mint output was irregular, and few pieces survived in collectible condition.