1 Kreuzer - William I

Württemberg's billon kreuzer issues of the 1820s–30s were struck under the monetary framework established by the German states prior to the Dresden Convention of 1838, which would eventually push low-denomination billon toward standardization across the confederation. William I had come to power in 1816 inheriting a kingdom Napoleon had inflated in size and prestige, but whose monetary system remained a patchwork of legacy denominations and alloy standards. The .147 fineness on this piece reflects just how little silver was economically justifiable at this fraction.