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Hälbing 'Löwenkopf Vierzipfliger'
| Issuer | Habsburg-Laufenburg, Counts of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1351-1400 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.18 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing lion's head in low relief, rendered in the characteristic bracteate style, with prominent tongue protruding downward and stylized mane framing the visage. The design is contained within a plain, smooth inner ring, itself enclosed by a raised outer border following the irregular four-lobed (vierzipflig) flan. The modelling is bold yet schematic, consistent with late 14th-century South German mint practice. No legend or inscription appears in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (1351-1400) |
| Additional information |
The Counts of Habsburg-Laufenburg were a cadet branch of the main Habsburg line, progressively marginalized through the fourteenth century as the senior branch consolidated territorial control across the Rhine region. By the time these tiny bracteate-style halfpennies were being struck, the Laufenburg line was already in steep dynastic decline — the county itself passed to Habsburg-Austria by 1408, rendering this emission among the last independent issues of a branch that had been hemorrhaging territory for decades.
At 0.18 grams, loss through clipping and wear in circulation was almost guaranteed, which explains why catalogued survivors in clean condition are infrequent enough to warrant three separate reference citations.