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Pfennig
| Issuer | Bishopric of Basel |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round with 4 pinches |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Incuse and mirror image of the obverse design, typical of thin hammered silver pfennig coinage of the medieval period, showing the ghost impression of the bishop's bust and field letters transferred through the flan during striking. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND |
| Additional information |
The Bishopric of Basel controlled minting rights in the upper Rhine region through much of the medieval period, though these rights were perpetually contested — by the city of Basel itself, by the Habsburgs, and by the various secular lords who periodically encroached on episcopal authority. Small silver pfennigs from this issuer circulated across a patchwork of competing jurisdictions where no single currency dominated, which is precisely why episcopal coinage survived here long after similar ecclesiastical mints had been absorbed elsewhere.
The silver content of Basel pfennigs degraded noticeably across successive issues as the bishopric's finances deteriorated through the 14th and 15th centuries.