1 Carolin - Ernest Louis

Ernest Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt had a reputation for fiscal recklessness that left his small principality chronically indebted, and the gold Carolin issues of his later reign were partly a function of imperial monetary reform rather than local prosperity. The Carolin — denominated at 10 Gulden — was introduced across the Holy Roman Empire in the early 18th century as part of efforts to standardize gold coinage against the dominant Louis d'or, its name a deliberate nod to Charles VI.

Ernest Louis died in 1739, and output from his final years was limited. The 1733 date places this coin six years before his death, well into the period when court expenditure consistently outpaced Darmstadt's revenue.