1 Ducat – Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle

In 1638, the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, specifically the Principality of Lüneburg-Celle under Duke George William, was deeply entangled in the financial and physical devastation of the Thirty Years' War. The region served as a frequent battleground and transit route for marauding armies, leading to severe population decline, economic disruption, and the crippling burden of war contributions (forced payments to occupying forces). This context of crisis fundamentally undermined the territory's monetary system, as the ducal treasury was exhausted and traditional economic activity was paralyzed.

The currency situation was characterized by rampant inflation and chaotic debasement. To meet relentless war expenses, the ducal mint, like many others in the Empire, engaged in the practice of Kipper- und Wipperzeit tactics, though the peak of that crisis had passed a decade earlier. The circulating coinage was a chaotic mix of older, higher-value Reichsthalers and a flood of newly minted, inferior-quality coins with reduced silver content. Furthermore, a plethora of foreign and occupation currency, particularly Swedish coins and Klippe coins (emergency square money), circulated alongside local issues, destroying public trust in the money's value.

Duke George William's administration faced an impossible task: restoring monetary stability while the war itself continued to drain all resources. Any attempts at currency regulation or recall were undermined by the sheer lack of bullion and the pressing need to fund the army for self-defence. Consequently, the monetary landscape of Lüneburg-Celle in 1638 was one of severe instability, reflecting the broader collapse of the Holy Roman Empire's monetary order and the desperate fiscal strategies of a ruler struggling to maintain his territory's survival amidst the war's chaos.