This copper coin was minted in the Free Imperial City of Dortmund during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I (AD 1745-65). Designated as a Free Imperial City by Emperor Frederick II in AD 1236, Dortmund retained this status until its revocation in AD 1803.
The obverse of the coin features a coat of arms adorned with an eagle motif. The reverse side indicates the minting year and the denomination of the coin: a quarter Stüber. Stüber was a small denomination coin that circulated in Germany from the late 15th century for daily transactions, ceasing usage in the early 19th century. The outer inscription specifies the minting city and the currency type: Scheidemünze.
Scheidemünze, literally translated as “separate coin,” refers to small denomination coins continuously issued in Austria and Germany before the outbreak of World War I. The purpose was to peacefully facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers, addressing differences in small values, which were not always practical with large silver coins. The term “Scheidemünze” or “Scheide-” has been in use since the 16th century, and since the 18th century, it has been engraved on such coins in the Holy Roman Empire.
