12 Kreuzers

Weissenburg's 12 Kreuzer issue of 1622 falls squarely within the Kipper- und Wipperzeit — the "clipping and culling time" — a monetary catastrophe that swept the Holy Roman Empire from roughly 1619 to 1623. Municipal and territorial mints across the Empire raced to debase their coinage, skimming silver content while issuing coins at face value, triggering ruinous inflation and widespread hoarding of older, honest money. Weissenburg, an imperial free city in Alsace, was not immune to the pressure to participate.

At 2.65 g, this piece sits notably light for a 12 Kreuzer denomination of honest issue, consistent with the debased output typical of the crisis period.