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6 Gröscher - Frederick I
| Issuer | Prussia, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1702-1709 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of King Frederick I facing right, rendered in bold relief with flowing long wig characteristic of the Baroque period. The king's armor or drapery is visible at the truncation. The circular Latin legend surrounds the effigy, and the mintmaster's initials 'CG' appear below the bust truncation. |
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| Reverse description | Central field displays the Roman numeral 'VI' denoting the denomination, surrounded by four crowned double-F royal monograms alternating with four capital R's arranged in a cruciform pattern. The Latin motto legend is divided above, and the date is split and placed at the lower left and right, flanking the design. |
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| Additional information |
Frederick I secured the title "King in Prussia" in 1701 through a calculated bargain with Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, who needed Hohenzollern troops for the War of the Spanish Succession. The 6 Gröscher series followed almost immediately, part of a broader recoinage effort to assert the new kingdom's monetary identity distinct from the Brandenburg electorate that had preceded it.
The billon composition — barely over one-third fine silver — was characteristic of small-denomination Prussian issues of this period, when the costs of maintaining a war footing kept bullion tight.