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1 Pfennig - Christian I, Augustus, Rudolph, Louis I and John Casimir Kipper
| Issuer | Principality of Anhalt (German States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1621 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.5 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the quartered arms of Anhalt, featuring the divided heraldic shield with the bear of Anhalt on the dexter side and a horizontally striped field on the sinister side, surmounted by a princely crown or crest. The shield is set within the plain field of this small hammered billon coin, with no surrounding legend visible due to the diminutive flan size typical of Kipper-period emergency coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 2 1 |
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| Additional information |
The Kipper und Wipper period of 1619–1623 was one of the most destructive currency crises in German history. Dozens of small states — Anhalt very much among them — debased their coinage aggressively, clipping full-weight coins and reissuing the metal as wildly undervalued small denominations. This piece is a direct product of that race to the bottom, struck under the joint rule of five Anhalt princes whose territories had been partitioned since 1603.
The crisis ultimately collapsed under its own weight when larger trading partners refused debased coinage at face value.