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1/2 Thaler - Frederick William I
| Issuer | Kingdom of Prussia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1721 |
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| Value | 1/2 Thaler |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped and armored bust of Frederick William I, King of Prussia, facing right, depicted in military cuirass richly ornamented with embossed decoration, with lace cravat visible at the neck. The king's long, wavy hair falls to his shoulders in the baroque style. The encircling Latin legend reads FRID.WILH.D.G.REX.BORVSS.EL.BRAND., identifying him as King of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg by the grace of God. The portrait is rendered in high relief with fine engraving detail, set within a reeded border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Frederick William I's relationship with silver coinage was complicated by his obsessive military buildup — essentially every thaler extracted from the Prussian economy went toward funding the largest standing army in Europe relative to population size. The 1721 date places this issue squarely in his post-Northern War period, when Prussia had secured Stettin and parts of Swedish Pomerania under the 1720 Treaty of Frederiksborg, giving the kingdom expanded access to Baltic trade revenue.
KM#195 is among the less frequently encountered fractional issues of his reign, overshadowed in collector attention by the full thaler series.