Mühlhausen's copper Kipper pfennig belongs to the most chaotic episode in German monetary history. The Kipper- und Wipperzeit — roughly 1619 to 1623 — saw hundreds of mints, cities, and petty lords deliberately debase their coinage to exploit fixed exchange rates, flooding the Empire with underweight and low-alloy small change before dumping the worthless coins on neighboring territories. Mühlhausen, as a Free Imperial City in Thuringia, had the minting rights to participate, and participate it did.
At 0.35 g, this piece is copper through and through — no pretense of silver content whatsoever, which puts it at the blunter end of Kipper debasement practice.
Mühlhausen's copper Kipper pfennig belongs to the most chaotic episode in German monetary history. The Kipper- und Wipperzeit — roughly 1619 to 1623 — saw hundreds of mints, cities, and petty lords deliberately debase their coinage to exploit fixed exchange rates, flooding the Empire with underweight and low-alloy small change before dumping the worthless coins on neighboring territories. Mühlhausen, as a Free Imperial City in Thuringia, had the minting rights to participate, and participate it did.
At 0.35 g, this piece is copper through and through — no pretense of silver content whatsoever, which puts it at the blunter end of Kipper debasement practice.