1 Ducat - Frederick William

Frederick William, the "Great Elector," used gold ducat issues of this period largely as diplomatic instruments — gifts to foreign courts, payments to military commanders, and incentives to Dutch financiers whose capital underwrote his standing army. The Brandenburg mint at this time was still finding its footing; the elector had only recently consolidated minting authority after decades of fragmented production across Cleves, Mark, and Brandenburg proper.

The ducat standard here follows the long-established Rhine gold convention, keeping Brandenburg currency acceptable across the Holy Roman Empire's commercial networks during the costly Northern Wars period.