Frederick II's financing of the Seven Years' War depended heavily on debased coinage — the so-called "Ephraimites," struck in enormous quantities at leased mints with drastically reduced silver content. The 1764 resumption of honest silver struck small denominations was a deliberate stabilization measure following the 1763 Peace of Hubertusburg, an attempt to restore confidence in Prussian currency after a decade of systematic debasement had made Prussian coin actively distrusted across the German states.
The Olding and Kluge references place this precisely within the post-war recoinage program rather than the wartime issues — a distinction that matters for attribution.
Frederick II's financing of the Seven Years' War depended heavily on debased coinage — the so-called "Ephraimites," struck in enormous quantities at leased mints with drastically reduced silver content. The 1764 resumption of honest silver struck small denominations was a deliberate stabilization measure following the 1763 Peace of Hubertusburg, an attempt to restore confidence in Prussian currency after a decade of systematic debasement had made Prussian coin actively distrusted across the German states.
The Olding and Kluge references place this precisely within the post-war recoinage program rather than the wartime issues — a distinction that matters for attribution.