Holy Roman Empire, Free Imperial City of Nuremburg, Silver Pfennig

These silver pfennigs were struck in the free Imperial City of Nuremberg between 1678 and 1700. Issued in the aftermath of the religious wars that reshaped Central Europe, the city remained a semi-autonomous republic within the Holy Roman Empire, governing itself under imperial authority while retaining the right to mint coinage for local use.

The obverse bears the city’s coat of arms with the date divided around the shield and a small cross beneath. The reverse is left blank, as struck. This single-sided format is typical of minor coinage intended for high-volume use as a way to quickly identify the issuing authority and year.

Nuremberg was one of the Empire’s most important Imperial cities, becoming the "unofficial capital" when Emperor Charles IV (r. 1346-78) issued The Golden Bull of 1356 requiring newly elected German kings to hold their first official gathering in the city. These coins reflect the quiet history between the flourishing of the German Renaissance and before Nuremberg’s independence would come to an end in 1806 as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.

Each includes a Certificate of Authenticity and is guaranteed genuine.