1/2 Krone - Frederick William IV

Frederick William IV suffered a series of strokes beginning in 1857 that left him mentally incapacitated, and his brother Wilhelm effectively assumed control of Prussia as regent in October 1858 — the same year this coin was struck. It is one of the final issues to bear the king's name under any semblance of his own rule. Wilhelm was formally declared regent in 1858 and would go on to become King Wilhelm I, under whom German unification was ultimately achieved.

The ½ Krone denomination had a short run in Prussian coinage, making survivors in collectible condition harder to source than the full Krone of the same period.