Westfalia Coin List
The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 marked a turning point in the history of Germany and its constituent states. This period witnessed important political and economic changes that were reflected in the coinage of the time.
The Westphalian monetary system
After the Thirty Years' War, the Westphalian monetary system was characterized by its diversity and complexity. Each state and free city had the right to mint its own coins, which resulted in a wide variety of pieces in circulation. The most common coins were silver thalers, which became the basis for interregional trade. In addition, gold ducats were minted for higher value transactions and copper pfennigs for everyday use. The quality and weight of these coins varied considerably between the different states, which often caused problems in trade and required the intervention of specialized money changers.
Political influence on Westphalian numismatics
The political fragmentation of Germany after Westphalia was clearly reflected in its coins. Each ruler used coinage as a way of asserting his sovereignty and prestige. Coins often featured portraits of local rulers, their coats of arms and Latin mottos proclaiming their authority. A notable example was the "Reichstaler," a high-quality silver coin that gained wide acceptance throughout the region. Despite attempts at standardization, such as the Zinna Convention of 1667, which sought to unify the value of coins among various states, monetary diversity persisted, reflecting the complex political reality of post-Westphalian Germany.
The most valuable and popular coins
The most valuable Westfalia coins and sought after by collectors according to Foronum statistics are the following:
The valuation of these coins list has been achieved through a meticulous algorithm that considers the current market, taking into account aspects such as material, weight, diameter, edge, year of mintage, mint of manufacture and the number of coins produced. Coins with limited mintages and in good condition are usually among the most valuable.
Old coins of Germany-States
To facilitate their classification, we have decided to organise the coins according to their historical period, you can consult the coins by historical numismatic categories of Germany-States.
Hamburg 1675-1872 Duchy of Brunswick Berg Prussia Nassau Aachen Anhalt-Bernburg Westfalia Dortmund Wismar Hannover Saxony-Meiningen Würzburg Baden Frankfurt Hessen-Darmstadt Frankfurt/Main Hesse-Kassel Wurttemberg Hesse Bavaria Otto Koenig Von Bayern Cologne Brunswick-Luneburg Henneberg-Ilmenau Hesse-Homburg Hohenzollern-Hechingen Hollenzollern-Sigmaringen Saxony Schleswig-Holstein Grand Duke of Oldenburg 1829-1918 Schwarzburg-RudolstadtCoin Catalog
Alemania-Estados | 12 pfennig (Duchy of Westphalia)
Alemania-Estados | 3 centimes
Alemania-Estados | 20 centimes
Other resources to find coins and banknotes of Germany-States
Can't find what you are looking for? Take a look at our coin finder and speed up your searches within the collections of all collectors, or if you prefer you can search directly in the list of coin collectors and access their profile to see their collections.