1 Ducat - George William

George William's rule over Brandenburg-Prussia coincided with the Thirty Years' War at its most destructive phase, and his chronic indecision — playing both Swedish and Imperial sides — left the electorate financially and militarily exhausted. Gold ducats of this period were struck not for ordinary commerce but to pay diplomatic obligations and military contractors, currencies that armies actually accepted. The elector's treasury was so strained by 1632 that Swedish forces under Gustav Adolf effectively occupied Brandenburg, extracting contributions at will.

KM#A148 is among the scarcer Brandenburg ducats of the early 17th century, with surviving examples concentrated in a handful of European cabinet collections.