Leopold I of Lorraine spent much of his reign navigating the uncomfortable position of a nominally sovereign duke whose territory sat between France and the Habsburg Empire, owing feudal obligations in multiple directions simultaneously. The Cross of Jerusalem type was minted in the final years of his reign — Leopold died in March 1729 — and the short production window of 1728–1729 accounts for the relative scarcity of surviving examples in collectible grades.
Billon coinage of this fineness circulated hard and wore fast. At .166 silver, these were working-class pocket change, not prestige issues.
Leopold I of Lorraine spent much of his reign navigating the uncomfortable position of a nominally sovereign duke whose territory sat between France and the Habsburg Empire, owing feudal obligations in multiple directions simultaneously. The Cross of Jerusalem type was minted in the final years of his reign — Leopold died in March 1729 — and the short production window of 1728–1729 accounts for the relative scarcity of surviving examples in collectible grades.
Billon coinage of this fineness circulated hard and wore fast. At .166 silver, these were working-class pocket change, not prestige issues.