The Kipper und Wipperzeit — roughly 1619 to 1623 — was one of the most destructive monetary crises in German history, driven by small states and cities systematically debasing their coinage to profit from the difference between face value and metal content. Rottweil, a Free Imperial City in Swabia with mint rights, participated like dozens of its neighbors, issuing inflated Kipper coinage that accelerated a spiral of competitive debasement across the Empire.
The crisis collapsed when recipients began refusing the coins entirely. By 1623 most Kipper issues had been recalled or simply abandoned in circulation, which is why survivors tend to show either minimal wear or none at all.
The Kipper und Wipperzeit — roughly 1619 to 1623 — was one of the most destructive monetary crises in German history, driven by small states and cities systematically debasing their coinage to profit from the difference between face value and metal content. Rottweil, a Free Imperial City in Swabia with mint rights, participated like dozens of its neighbors, issuing inflated Kipper coinage that accelerated a spiral of competitive debasement across the Empire.
The crisis collapsed when recipients began refusing the coins entirely. By 1623 most Kipper issues had been recalled or simply abandoned in circulation, which is why survivors tend to show either minimal wear or none at all.