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12 Kreuzer - Adolphus Kipper
| Issuer | County of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda |
|---|---|
| Year | 1620-1622 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#20, Kennepohl#52 |
| Obverse description | Central field displays the crowned arms of Bentheim-Tecklenburg, consisting of a quartered shield with the characteristic roundels (bezants) of Bentheim in the lower quarters, surrounded by elaborate foliate mantling. The peripheral Latin legend ADOLPHVS COMES IN BENTH ET TECK encircles the design, identifying Count Adolphus as the issuing authority. The overall style is typical of the debased Kipper period coinage struck in haste during the early 1620s monetary crisis. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Kipper- und Wipperzeit of 1619–1623 was a currency catastrophe deliberately engineered by dozens of small German states debasing their coinage to exploit arbitrage between mint standards, flooding the Empire with underweight billon while hoarding full-weight silver. Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda was among the minor Westphalian counties that participated aggressively in this race to the bottom. Count Adolphus — formally Adolf Burchard — used the window to extract maximum seigniorage before the scheme collapsed and Imperial Circle authorities cracked down on offending mints around 1622–1623.
Kennepohl's documentation of this type remains the definitive reference for the Bentheim series; KM#20 follows his attribution closely.