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1/2 Gold Wilhelm - Frederick William I
| Issuer | Royal Prussian Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1738-1740 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse lettering | PRO DEO ET MILITE 1739 |
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| Additional information |
Frederick William I despised ostentation — he disbanded his father's elaborate court, sold off the royal silver, and famously dressed like a common soldier. That a gold coin bearing his likeness was struck at all reflects fiscal pragmatism rather than vanity: the Prussian treasury needed a reliable gold denomination for international trade settlements, not domestic circulation. These pieces almost never passed through ordinary hands.
Production ran only across the final two years of his reign before his death in May 1740, making the window extremely narrow. His son, Frederick II, inherited the throne and within months had launched the First Silesian War — redirecting mint resources entirely.