Scherf

'sharp pfennig') was a low-value silver coin used in Erfurt and other cities of the Holy Roman Empire from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.

These silver pennies had predetermined breaking points so that they could be physically divided into smaller values which, after being broken off, became "shards".

[1] If necessary, a 1-pfennig piece could simply be divided into two halves, hence the naming Helbing, Hälbling, Helblinger, or Helling ("halfling").

This term has survived to this day in an idiom that goes back to Martin Luther's Bible translation LUT: "sein Scherflein zu etwas beitragen" ("his mite to contribute something").

The expression verscherbeln meaning "sell below value" is possibly also derived from Late Middle High German scher(p)f.[3]