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1 Ducat - Frederick William
| Issuer | Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1701 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Reverse description | Frontal bull's head, the heraldic charge of Mecklenburg, shown affronté with a ring through the nose and surmounted by a ducal crown, enclosed within a wreath of laurel branches tied at the base. The motto legend QVO DEVS ET FORTVNA DVCUNT (Whither God and Fortune lead) arcs around the upper and lateral fields, with the date 1701 appearing in the lower exergual area below the wreath. A milled border frames the entire composition. |
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| Reverse lettering | QVO DEVS ET FORTVNA DVCUNT 1701 |
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| Additional information |
Frederick William ruled Mecklenburg-Schwerin for only four years, dying in 1713 at age seventeen. His reign coincided almost exactly with the opening phase of the Great Northern War, which brought Swedish and Russian armies through Mecklenburg territory and placed the duchy in an extraordinarily precarious diplomatic position between the major Baltic powers. Gold ducats of this type were struck in very limited quantities — duchy-level gold issues from small German states at this period served primarily as presentation and gift pieces rather than trade coinage, which explains the survival rate in better grades.
Kunkel's classification 274 A/a denotes the earliest die pairing for this type.