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Denier - Frederick II
| Issuer | Prussia, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1746-1747 |
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| Value | 1 Pfennig (1⁄288) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Crowned royal cypher of Frederick II (FR) interlaced with the mintmaster's initials AHE (Adam Heinrich von Ehrenberg), rendered in an elaborate calligraphic monogram occupying the central field. The crown surmounts the intertwined letters, with the mintmaster's ligature AE positioned below the main cipher. The coin's border is formed by a fine beaded inner circle, consistent with the milled coinage standard of mid-18th century Prussian small denomination issues. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The denomination numeral I is prominently displayed in the upper central field, flanked by two six-pointed stars. Below, the legend DENAR / SCHEIDE / MUNTZ is arranged in three horizontal lines across the field, identifying this piece as a billon Scheidemünze (small change coin). The date appears in the exergual area, with the mintmaster's initial W incorporated into the date presentation. The reverse is bordered by a beaded circle matching the obverse. |
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| Additional information |
Frederick II authorized this billon denier as an emergency wartime currency during the closing phase of the War of Austrian Succession, with Prussia needing to maintain military expenditure across multiple fronts while silver reserves were under sustained pressure. The denier denomination — a French-derived unit deliberately retained for Prussian territories west of the Elbe — reflects Frederick's administrative pragmatism in keeping familiar coinage circulating among populations accustomed to French monetary conventions.
The two-year production window, 1746–1747, ended with the Peace of Dresden already signed — these later strikes were essentially mopping up a monetary commitment made under very different circumstances.