Catalog
1 Pfennig Klippe
| Issuer | Augsburg, Free city of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1521 |
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| Value | 1 Pfennig (1⁄480) |
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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 |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A plain cross with flared or bifurcated arm terminals, centered within a circular border, occupying the full field of the square klippe flan. The cross is rendered in a simple, bold style characteristic of late medieval German pfennig coinage, with no additional legends or decorative elements in the field. |
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| Mintage | 1521: ND (1521) |
| Additional information |
Augsburg's klippe issues of the early sixteenth century reflect the city's considerable mint autonomy during a period when the Holy Roman Empire's coinage system was fragmenting under the weight of competing local authorities. The square-cut flan — the defining characteristic of a klippe — was not purely decorative; such pieces were frequently struck as presentation or trial pieces, set aside from circulation almost immediately.
1521 placed this coin squarely in the year of the Diet of Worms, when Charles V was occupied with Luther rather than monetary reform.