This is a Nuremberg Jetton reckoning counter.

These tiny tokens played a central role in the world of commerce during the late medieval and early post-medieval period.

If you were a merchant in medieval times and needed to settle your finances, you couldn't just reach for a calculator like we do today. Instead, you would have used reckoning counters, like this one, in conjunction with a chequer board. It was on these checkered boards that merchants and officials performed their calculations.

There’s evidence of reckoning counters and chequer boards being used as early as 1118, but the first purpose-made counters were produced in England around 1280, primarily for government use."

By the 15th century, France held a monopoly on the production of these counters. But by the mid-16th century, Nuremberg had taken over as the primary producer.

The demand for reckoning counters grew as they became a crucial tool in commerce, leading to mass production.

By the 17th century, accounting shifted to written calculations, and reckoning counters fell out of use for finance. 

However, they found a new purpose, as gaming counters. As gambling houses grew in popularity, so did the continued production of these fascinating little pieces of history.

Though their role in commerce has diminished, jettons are now preserved in museums and private collections.