In 1998, the conclusion of the 30 Years War (1618-1648) was celebrated by royalty and presidents in Münster and Osnabrück 350 years later. These 30 violent years had not only brought suffering and horrendous war crimes to Europe but from the beginning of the war, there also was a shortage of precious metals.

Large numbers of soldiers had to be paid, and in order to do so in the early years princes overvalued and overissued lesser valued coins for profit. Local debasement was complicated by forgeries produced at the Swedish-held towns of Ebling and Riga on the Baltic.

In order to establish their worth, coins had to be weighed. These were laid on a specially made scale (a Wippe or "see-saw") by a "tipper": If the coin was of full value then the Wippe tipped (german: kippen).

The populace tried to hold on to their silver money, but as the rulers of larger states joined in the fraud in 1619, inflation increased from year to year. Starvation and crisis resulted and the church finally spoke up against the Kipper and Wipper.

Blame for the forgeries went to the coin makers, but the guilty ones were the princes, moneyers and bishops. After Austria and later the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations rose up against the Kipper money, it was outlawed in 1622. In 1623 the use of the old coinage returned.