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1 Ort - George William
| Issuer | Brandenburg-Prussia, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1621-1622 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/4 Thaler |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Crowned four-fold coat of arms in an ornate baroque cartouche, with a central escutcheon bearing the Hohenzollern scepter shield. The heraldic composition is enclosed within an elaborate decorative frame characteristic of the Kipper und Wipper period. The continuous Latin legend surrounding the arms carries the remaining titles of the elector. |
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| Additional information |
Struck at the outbreak of the Kipper- und Wipperzeit — the catastrophic debasement crisis that swept the German states between roughly 1619 and 1623 — this ort belongs to a period when mints across the Empire were racing to profit from currency arbitrage, melting good silver and restruck it as debased coin. Brandenburg-Prussia was not immune. The ort denomination itself was a quarter thaler, and issues from this window are notorious for inconsistent silver content as mint masters operated under pressure and, frequently, corrupt incentive.
George William's administration lacked the political leverage to enforce monetary discipline locally, a weakness that would define his reign well beyond the currency crisis.