Pfennig

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.