2 Albus Frankfurt

Frankfurt's 2 Albus issues of the early 1690s were produced under considerable fiscal strain, as the city absorbed the costs of maintaining its status as a free imperial city during the Nine Years' War — a conflict that drained municipal treasuries across the Holy Roman Empire without directly threatening Frankfurt's walls. The Albus was a regional currency of long standing in the Rhenish tradition, and Frankfurt's continued striking of small silver in this denomination reflects the city's role as a commercial hub requiring reliable small change for its famous trade fairs.