3 Groschen - John of Küstrin

John of Küstrin administered the Neumark as a separate margraviate after the 1535 partition forced on the Hohenzollern territories following the death of Elector Joachim I. He governed it as a virtually independent prince — refusing to convert to Lutheranism until political pressure made it unavoidable, a stubbornness that put him at odds with his brother Joachim II for much of his reign. These groschen were struck early in his independent coinage, just as he was consolidating fiscal authority over the Neumark's towns and revenues.