Ernest I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg — known as "the Pious" — died in March 1675 after ruling for decades and fathering eighteen children, seven of whom survived to partition his duchy into the seven successor states that would fragment the Ernestine line for generations. This pfennig was struck as a death memorial issue, a practice common among the German petty states where even the smallest denominations could serve a commemorative function at court.
The Duchy itself ceased to exist in its original form almost immediately after Ernest's death, making this a terminal issue for the title.
Ernest I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg — known as "the Pious" — died in March 1675 after ruling for decades and fathering eighteen children, seven of whom survived to partition his duchy into the seven successor states that would fragment the Ernestine line for generations. This pfennig was struck as a death memorial issue, a practice common among the German petty states where even the smallest denominations could serve a commemorative function at court.
The Duchy itself ceased to exist in its original form almost immediately after Ernest's death, making this a terminal issue for the title.