1⁄12 Thaler - Frederick II

This denomination was minted continuously through the Seven Years' War, during which Frederick II's treasury was under extraordinary strain. Prussia's silver supply was so depleted by 1757 that Frederick authorized the progressive debasement of his subsidiary coinage, reducing silver content dramatically — this .375 fine billon issue reflects exactly that policy. The sprawling Schröter reference numbers signal an unusually large number of die varieties across multiple mints, a direct consequence of wartime production spread between Berlin, Königsberg, Breslau, and others pressed into service simultaneously.