Zollpfennig

The Zollpfennig ("customs pfennig") was Pfennig coin with a special function, issued under Elector Charles Theodore (1742–1799) of the Palatinate in the years 1766, 1778 and minted in 1777 by the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt.

They served to finance the state and to equalize the value of payments between coins of different coinage standards.

The Palatinate Zollpfennigs from 1766 and 1778 depict a crowned lion within branches and the inscription CHUR PFALZ on the obverse.

While the Palatinate Zollpfennig was worth 1½ pfennigs in general payment transactions, it was only valued at 1 pfennig for payments to the electoral coffers and thus served to finance the state.

In the following year, Hesse-Darmstadt allowed coins minted in the 24 gulden standard for payment transactions again, but continued to demand coins corresponding to the 20 gulden standard for payments to the public coffers and customs posts.