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3 Pfennig - John Albert II
| Issuer | Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1621-1622 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Within a beaded inner circle, the rampant griffin of Mecklenburg is depicted facing left, rendered in the crude hammered style typical of early 17th-century German Pfennig coinage. The heraldic beast occupies the central field, with spread wings and raised foreleg clearly visible. Surrounding the inner circle, a Latin legend reads HANS·ALBRECH : H : Z : M :, identifying Duke Johann Albrecht II of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Dot stops separate the abbreviated titular elements of the inscription. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
John Albert II ruled Mecklenburg-Güstrow during one of the most monetarily chaotic periods in German history — the Kipper- und Wipperzeit, a debasement crisis between roughly 1619 and 1623 in which territorial mints across the Holy Roman Empire raced to produce debased coinage, profiting from the spread before the bubble collapsed. Small copper issues like this three-pfennig piece were part of that broader scramble, as silver shortages and speculative currency manipulation pushed even minor duchies into aggressive minting programs.
Mecklenburg-Güstrow was a divided territory; John Albert II held the Güstrow half following the 1611 partition with his brother Adolf Frederick. The political fragmentation meant each line operated its own mint, which is why Güstrow-attributed pieces carry their own distinct references distinct from the Schwerin line.