Tetzel overstated Catholic doctrine in regard to indulgences for the dead. He became known for a couplet attributed to him: "As soon as a coin in the coffer rings / the soul from purgatory springs" This oft-quoted saying was by no means representative of the official Catholic teaching on indulgences, but rather, more a reflection of Tetzel’s capacity to exaggerate. Yet if Tetzel overstated the matter in regard to indulgences for the dead, his teaching on indulgences for the living was pure Catholic teaching. German Catholic historian of the Papacy, Ludwig von Pastor explains: - en.wikipedia.org