Denier Bracteate

Einbeck's bracteate issues of the early sixteenth century belong to a monetary tradition already considered archaic by the time these were struck. The thin, single-sided silver penny had been the dominant small denomination of northern German towns for centuries, but by 1500 most issuing authorities had abandoned the form entirely. Einbeck persisted, likely because local trade networks — particularly tied to the town's renowned brewing trade — demanded small change that matched what neighbouring markets still accepted.

MB#4 / Buck Ei#2 is among the rarer documented Einbeck bracteate types, with surviving examples concentrated in a small number of regional collections.