60 Groschen - John George I

The 60 Groschen denomination was a creature of the Kipper- und Wipperzeit, the catastrophic currency debasement crisis that swept the Holy Roman Empire between roughly 1619 and 1623. Minters across the Empire — including many operating under electoral authority — debased silver coinage aggressively, then clipped and re-minted coins at manipulated exchange rates. John George I of Saxony, despite his electoral status, was not immune to the pressures of wartime finance in the opening years of the Thirty Years' War.

At 22.77g, this piece is heavier than many emergency issues of the period, suggesting it may predate the worst of the debasement cycle.