1 Pfennig - Ernest Louis

Ernest Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt died in 1739, making this a late issue from a reign that lasted over five decades — one of the longer tenures among the fragmented German states of the period. The tiny copper pfennig denominations of these principalities were struck in enormous quantities for local market use, passed through hands at toll gates, markets, and taverns, and were rarely preserved with any care. Most survivors show heavy wear or environmental damage from prolonged contact with soil.