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2 Ducats Klippe, Siege issue
| Issuer | Magdeburg, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1551 |
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| Currency | Thaler |
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| Obverse description | Standing figure of the Magdeburg Maiden, the personification of the city, holding a wreath; she is depicted above a city gate in a heraldic composition. A star is positioned in the left and right fields flanking the central device. The date 1551 and the numeral IIII appear as the primary legend elements. The design is struck on a square klippe planchet with characteristic irregular edges typical of siege coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely blank, presenting a plain, flat gold field with no design, legend, or ornamental elements, consistent with the emergency klippe coinage struck during the Siege of Magdeburg in 1551. |
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| Additional information |
Magdeburg's 1551 siege coinage was struck during the city's prolonged defiance of the Schmalkaldic War's aftermath — specifically the imperial siege following the city's refusal to accept the Augsburg Interim, the compromise religious settlement Charles V attempted to impose on Protestant territories. The city held out under military pressure while continuing to mint emergency issues to pay its garrison and municipal obligations.
Klippe formats — square or lozenge-cut planchets — were a deliberate production choice under siege conditions, allowing smiths to work from bar stock without the equipment needed to roll and cut round flans.