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1/2 Thaler - Frederick William
| Issuer | Brandenburg-Prussia, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1641-1643 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Half-length draped bust of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, facing three-quarters to the right, with long flowing hair and an elaborately embroidered costume with lace collar, contained entirely within an inner rope circle. The Latin legend encircles the effigy between the inner rope border and an outer beaded rim, reading: FRID: WILH: D: G: MAR: BR: SA: ROM: IMP: ARCHIC: ET: EL, identifying the ruler as Margrave of Brandenburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire and Elector. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Frederick William — the future "Great Elector" — had only just inherited Brandenburg-Prussia in 1640, inheriting with it a territory ravaged by two decades of Thirty Years' War occupation, depleted treasuries, and a coinage system in near-total disorder. These half thalers were struck across three mints operating under inconsistent conditions, which accounts for the die variation documented under Schroetter 2157 and the occasionally uneven planchet quality seen on surviving examples.
The Peace of Westphalia was still seven years away when the last of this issue left the dies.