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4 Heller - Moritz
| Issuer | Landgraviate of Hesse-Cassel (Hesse-Cassel) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1622-1623 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | An ornate Hessian crested helmet is depicted centrally, rendered with decorative mantling and scrollwork flanking the bowl in typical early Baroque heraldic style. The denomination mark '4H' — denoting 4 Heller — appears prominently in the upper field above the helmet. The overall design is compact and boldly struck, consistent with the emergency coinage (Kipper und Wipper) issues of the early 1620s. |
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| Additional information |
Issued during the Kipper- und Wipperzeit — the "clipping and culling" crisis of 1619–1623 — this piece belongs to one of the most chaotic monetary episodes in German history. Dozens of petty princes, including the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, debased their coinage aggressively to profit from arbitrage against higher-quality imperial coin, flooding circulation with underweight silver issues before the whole system collapsed. Moritz, who had abdicated in favor of his son Wilhelm V in 1627, presided over Hesse-Cassel's participation in this race to the bottom.
The 4 Heller denomination itself is a creature of emergency — small change manufactured to absorb debasement while larger denominations were hoarded.