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5 Ducats - Frederick William
| Issuer | Electorate of Brandenburg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1679 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | FRID. WILH. D. G. M. BR. S. R. I. ARC. ET ELECT. |
| Reverse description | Large, elaborately quartered coat of arms of the Electorate of Brandenburg, supported on either side by wild men (savages) serving as heraldic supporters, each grasping the shield. The multi-quarterings incorporate the arms of Brandenburg, Prussia, Cleves, Mark, Ravensberg, and other Hohenzollern territories, surmounted by a row of nine crested helmets bearing their respective heraldic devices including eagles, antlers, and other charges. The entire achievement is rendered in fine detail befitting a prestigious gold multiple. The Latin motto legend DEUS FORTITUDO MEA (God is my strength) curves along the upper rim of the coin, while the beaded border runs along the coin's edge. |
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| Additional information |
Frederick William, the "Great Elector," spent much of 1679 making peace — and making clear he resented it. The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye that year forced him to return most of his Swedish Pomeranian gains to Sweden under French pressure, despite having decisively defeated the Swedish army at Fehrbellin four years earlier. Multiple-ducat presentation pieces struck at this moment were instruments of court diplomacy, circulated among allies and foreign dignitaries rather than through commercial channels.
KM#493 is a rare type. Brandenburg's gold output in this period depended heavily on imported bullion, and large-denomination multiples were struck in small, occasion-driven runs.