1 Thaler - John Frederick Klippe

Württemberg's silver output in the 1620s was inseparable from the catastrophe unfolding around it. The Thirty Years' War was grinding through its seventh year in 1625, and Duke John Frederick — ruling since 1608 — was navigating an increasingly untenable position as a Lutheran prince surrounded by Imperial pressure. Klippe thalers, struck in square or lozenge form rather than the round flan, were most commonly produced for presentation purposes: gifts to military commanders, diplomatic counterparts, or court favorites.

That this piece carries multiple distinct catalog references speaks to the depth of collector literature devoted to Württemberg mining and coinage — the duchy's Christophstal and Wildberg operations gave it genuine metal to work with.