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12 Kipper Kreuzer - Ferdinand II Vienna
| Issuer | Habsburg Monarchy |
|---|---|
| Year | 1621 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Crowned double-headed imperial eagle displayed in the central field, each head bearing a separate crown with the imperial crown above, the breast shield bearing the quartered arms of Austria-Burgundy. The surrounding circular legend reads FERDINANDVS II D G I S AVG G H B REX, referencing the emperor's titles as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany, Hungary, and Bohemia. The coin is struck on a broad, irregular flan typical of the Kipper period, with the design slightly off-center. The engraving reflects the bold, somewhat crude style characteristic of emergency wartime billon coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | FERDINANDVS II D G I S AVG G H B REX |
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| Additional information |
The Kipper und Wipperzeit — literally "tipping and see-sawing" — was a currency crisis that swept the Holy Roman Empire between roughly 1619 and 1623, driven by mints debasing coinage to fund the opening campaigns of the Thirty Years' War. Ferdinand II's administration was among the worst offenders: imperial mints and their private lessees systematically clipped and underweighted silver coins, then reissued debased replacements at face value, extracting seigniorage profit while flooding circulation with near-worthless billon. This 12 Kreuzer piece is a direct product of that policy.
Vienna's mint output during this window was largely farmed to consortia of financiers. The resulting coins varied wildly in actual silver content even within a single denomination and year.