Batzen Klippe, 11/2 batzens weight

Klippen of this type were struck at Zürich during a period when the city's mint was producing emergency or presentation square-format pieces alongside regular coinage. The 1620s and 1630s saw considerable monetary disruption across the Swiss Confederation tied to the broader instability of the Thirty Years' War, which strained trade relationships and prompted several cantons to assert tighter control over local silver issues. Whether these pieces saw genuine circulation or were struck as gifts and keepsakes is debated — the square flan survives disproportionately well, suggesting limited handling.