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1 Ducat - Frederick William
| Issuer | Brandenburg-Prussia, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1665 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.5 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central crowned shield bearing the Hohenzollern eagle of Brandenburg, flanked by the date 16-65 divided across the field, surrounded by a wreath of thirteen smaller armorial shields arranged in a circle, each depicting the arms of one of the Elector's territories, including those of Prussia, Cleves, Jülich, Berg, Pomerania, and others. The composition is densely heraldic, characteristic of the multi-territorial arms coinage of the Great Elector. The initials I L, referring to the mintmaster, appear within the date arrangement. A beaded border frames the entire reverse design. |
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| Additional information |
Frederick William, the "Great Elector," struck ducats throughout his reign as instruments of diplomacy as much as commerce — presented as gifts to foreign envoys, used to pay subsidies to allied princes, and circulated among the merchant elite of the Baltic trading networks. The year 1665 falls squarely within his postwar consolidation of Brandenburg-Prussian power following the Treaty of Oliva, when he was aggressively courting both French and Dutch financial relationships simultaneously.
The .986 fineness conforms to the traditional ducat standard that had governed European gold coinage since the late medieval period, making these pieces acceptable across state borders without conversion penalties.