12 Kreuzer - Louis Frederick

The 12 Kreuzer coin from the County of Montbéliard (French States) made of Silver is interesting because it was minted during a time of great economic and political change in Europe. The Thirty Years War had just ended, and the coinage of many states was in disarray. The County of Montbéliard, which was a small state in what is now eastern France, had recently switched allegiance from the Holy Roman Empire to France, and the minting of this coin may have been a way for the state to assert its new identity and establish economic ties with its larger neighbor. Additionally, the use of silver in the coin's minting was a sign of the state's wealth and prosperity, as silver was a valuable and sought-after metal at the time.

• early modern
• hre