18 Gröscher - Frederick I

Frederick I — born Friedrich III, Elector of Brandenburg — secured the title King in Prussia in January 1701 through a deal with Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, who needed Hohenzollern troops for the looming War of the Spanish Succession. The 18 Gröscher denomination was already an established silver unit in the region, and Frederick moved quickly to issue coinage under his new royal style. This piece dates to just the second year of that kingship.

The .6406 fineness places it within the debased silver standards common to north German states of the period, reflecting ongoing pressure from wartime fiscal demands rather than any particular monetary reform.