Drie groschen, noodmunt uit Gotha van Johan Frederik II hertog van Saksen, geslagen tijdens het beleg door de troepen van keurvorst August van Saksen 1567

This small silver coin, a ‘drie groschen’, was struck in Gotha, Germany, under the authority of Johan Frederik II, Duke of Saxony. It's a piece of emergency coinage produced during the siege of Gotha by the troops of Elector August of Saxony. The coin's irregular shape and roughly stamped designs – the ducal coat of arms on one side, the denomination on the other – speak to the urgency of its creation. Minted during a period of conflict, this coin offers a tangible link to the social and political upheavals of 16th-century Germany. It reflects the disruption of normal economic activity and the Duke's need to maintain control and finance his defense. The very existence of this coin is a testament to the stresses placed on institutions during times of war. Studying such an object involves understanding not just its monetary value, but the historical circumstances that led to its creation. Numismatic archives and historical records can tell us more about the siege, the political context, and the economic conditions that made this emergency coinage necessary.