1 Kreuzgroschen

Hildesheim's civic coinage of the 1530s was struck during one of the most turbulent decades in the city's history. The Reformation had split the population, and tensions between the Lutheran-leaning city council and the Catholic bishop — who technically held overlordship — made even routine administrative acts, including the authorization of coinage, politically charged. The city had fought hard for minting privileges and guarded them jealously against episcopal interference throughout this period.

The Kreuzgroschen denomination itself was a regional adaptation of the Groschen system, calibrated to local exchange needs in Lower Saxony.