1 Ducat - Frederick II

Frederick II — Frederick the Great — resumed Prussian ducat production in the 1740s largely to fund the machinery of war. The First and Second Silesian Wars had strained Prussian finances considerably, and gold specie was essential for paying foreign mercenaries and securing military contracts that Prussian silver alone could not cover. The Berlin mint operated under intense pressure during this decade.

The .986 fineness places this issue among the purest gold coinages of mid-18th century Europe, slightly exceeding the Venetian ducat standard that had dominated continental trade for centuries.