1/8 Thaler
Free imperial city of Nuremberg
1650
Composition: Silver
Weight: 2.71g
Length by Width: 20.9 x 21.7mm
Thickness: 0.7mm
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
House: Habsburg
Born 1608 - Died 1657
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1/8 Thaler Free imperial city of Nuremberg 1650 Composition: Silver Weight: 2.71g Length by Width: 20.9 x 21.7mm Thickness: 0.7mm Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor House: Habsburg Born 1608 - Died 1657 |
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This coin features a boy riding a stick horse, holding a riding crop. It was minted to commemorate the end of The Thirty Years' War. This war was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. The Peace of Westphalia is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648. A diplomatic congress gathered in Nuremberg in the Spring of 1649 to address the implementation of the treaties. The final treaty was signed on June 16, 1650. |
A number of coins were issued in Nuremberg to commemorate the peace: 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 Klippe Thalers. A klippe coin refers to a coin hammered on a more easily produced square planchet, instead of a typical round one. Klippe coins were initially made for emergency currency by cities under siege in the 1500s. They were later used for commemorative coins such as this one. It is said that a group of boys rode their stick horses to the delegate appointed by Emperor Ferdinand III, asking him for a way to commemorate the peace. These 1/8 thalers were minted as a result. |