1 Pfennig Klippe

Klippen of this denomination from Augsburg are among the more puzzling survivals of the late sixteenth century — square-cut pfennig-sized pieces in silver occupy an awkward middle ground between emergency coinage and deliberate presentation pieces. The Forster/Schmelzing reference places this issue firmly within a documented sequence, but the precise occasion for striking square-format coins at the lowest denomination remains debated. Augsburg's mint was under sustained pressure during this period from the Imperial Reichsmünzordnung reforms, which repeatedly attempted to standardize small silver across the free cities.