20 Groschen - John George I

The 20 Groschen denomination was a direct product of the Kipper- und Wipperzeit — the catastrophic debasement crisis that swept the Holy Roman Empire between roughly 1619 and 1623. Mints across Saxony and neighboring states raced to strike overvalued coins from progressively debased silver, flooding markets and destabilizing trade. John George I, despite later attempts to present Electoral Saxony as a voice of fiscal restraint, participated aggressively in the frenzy.

Rah/Kr#3b distinguishes this variety within a series produced under considerable pressure and haste, which accounts for the inconsistent planchet quality seen across surviving examples.