1 Ducat - Frederick William I

Frederick William I inherited the Prussian throne in 1713 and almost immediately set about dismantling the extravagant court culture his father Frederick I had built — including, notably, the royal collections of art and luxury goods. He sold off paintings, dismissed court poets, and redirected every available thaler toward the army. That ducats were minted at all during his reign reflects administrative inertia more than royal enthusiasm; Frederick William openly despised ceremonial expenditure and considered gold coinage a frivolity suited to showier monarchs.

The 1715–1717 window corresponds to the early consolidation of his military reforms and the ongoing Northern War, during which Prussia maneuvered carefully between Swedish and Russian interests before securing Stettin in 1720.