5 Ducats - Frederick William

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.