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4 Pfennigs - Wolfgang William Kipper
| Issuer | Duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg (German States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1621-1622 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 4 Pfennig = 1 Kreuzer (1⁄72) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field features the Roman numeral IIII, boldly rendered in large characters to denote the denomination of four Pfennig, enclosed within an oval or circular inner border of radial lines or dashes. A small decorative rosette or floral ornament appears below the numeral at the base of the inner circle. The overall design is plain and utilitarian, consistent with the debased emergency small change produced during the Kipper und Wipper inflationary period, with the flan exhibiting the characteristic irregular shape of hammered copper coinage. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Wolfgang Wilhelm of Palatinate-Neuburg struck these copper 4-Pfennig pieces during the Kipper- und Wipperzeit, the catastrophic currency debasement crisis that swept the Holy Roman Empire between roughly 1619 and 1623. Opportunistic rulers and mint operators across the Empire were flooding circulation with underweight, debased coinage — clipping good silver, issuing copper dressed as billon, and pocketing the seigniorage difference. Wolfgang Wilhelm, a recent Catholic convert who needed funds to consolidate his territories amid the opening chaos of the Thirty Years' War, was among the more aggressive participants.
The crisis collapsed under its own weight by 1623 when the debased coins became so distrusted that markets simply refused them.