1/2 Batzen - Frederick William II

Neuchâtel's status as a Prussian principality — an anomaly embedded deep in Swiss territory — meant Frederick William II ruled it from Berlin while never setting foot there. The batzen denominations of this period were struck to satisfy local commercial demand in a region economically integrated with the Swiss cantons, not with Prussia, making the coinage a practical concession to geography over politics.

The HMZ and Froidevaux references list two distinct varieties within the type, likely reflecting die changes across the seven-year run.