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1/3 Reichsthaler - Frederick II
| Issuer | Prussia, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1758-1759 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 8.35 g |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Frederick II (Friedrich der Große) facing right, with elaborately curled hair tied at the nape with a ribbon, rendered in fine Baroque relief. The effigy is uncrowned and unlaureated, presented in a naturalistic portrait style typical of mid-18th century Prussian coinage. The circumferential Latin legend reads FRIDERICUS BORUSSORUM REX, distributed around the upper and lower periphery of the field, with the portrait occupying the central and lower portions of the die. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Frederick II's Seven Years' War placed extraordinary strain on Prussian finances. To fund campaigns on multiple fronts simultaneously, Frederick debased the silver coinage aggressively — the .666 fineness of this issue reflects deliberate policy rather than metallurgical accident. The scheme was partly administered through leased mints, with Jewish financiers Veitel Heine Ephraim and Daniel Itzig contracted to manage production, supplying debased coin while full-weight silver was diverted to military expenditure.
These coins were so reviled by contemporaries that "Ephraimiten" became a common pejorative for debased currency across the German states. Frederick himself reportedly ordered the good coin back once the war ended.