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4 Pfennige - Frederick William IV
| Issuer | Prussia, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1843-1845 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 6.07 g |
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| Obverse description | The Prussian royal arms displayed as a shield bearing the Hohenzollern eagle with spread wings, sceptre and orb in its talons, set within a squared shield surmounted by a large royal crown. The circular legend '90 EINEN THALER' arcs along the upper periphery, indicating the coin's fractional value within the Thaler system. The field is plain, with no additional ornamental devices. The design is rendered in a crisp neoclassical style characteristic of mid-19th century Prussian coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays the denomination numeral '4' prominently in the upper central field, below which the inscription 'PFENNINGE' is arranged horizontally across the mid-field, and the year of issue appears in large numerals beneath. The curved legend 'SCHEIDE MUNZE' arcs along the upper periphery, identifying the coin as token or subsidiary coinage. The mint mark 'A' (Berlin Mint) is positioned at the lower edge below a horizontal line dividing the date from the mint mark. The overall layout is typographic and unadorned, consistent with Prussian Scheidemünze design conventions of the period. |
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| Additional information |
Frederick William IV came to the Prussian throne in 1840 with reformist sympathies that never quite translated into action, but his early reign did produce a rationalized copper coinage intended to align with ongoing German monetary discussions that would eventually culminate in the Dresden Convention of 1838's aftermath. The 4 Pfennig denomination sat awkwardly in that system — too large for minor transactions, too small to matter in larger ones — and the short three-year production window at the Berlin mint reflects its limited practical utility.