1 Pfennig - William Frederick

Brandenburg-Ansbach occupied an awkward position among the Hohenzollern territories — technically a separate margraviate, but increasingly subordinate to the growing Prussian state in Berlin. William Frederick, who ruled from 1703 to 1723, issued these small billon pfennigs throughout a period when the coinage of minor German principalities was plagued by debasement disputes and constant renegotiation of the Münzfuß, the imperial coin standard. At 0.29 grams, pieces this light were perpetually susceptible to clipping and were frequently rejected by merchants despite being legal tender.