Golden Frederick

The ruler of Prussia, Frederick II (1713-1786), earned the moniker "the Great" due to his economic and social reforms, as well as consistent political pursuits. The financial and monetary issues played an important role in building the power of the state. Frederick II perfected state fiscalism, and in his search for additional sources of income, he even went as far as to counterfeit coins. In 1740 he introduced a new gold coin, named friedrichsdor, which was supposed to denote the economic power of Prussia. In line with the zeitgeist, as well as the personal preferences of the Prussian ruler, a lover of French culture and philosophy and mercantilism – French economic thought, the “Golden Frederick” was supposed to imitate the French luidor. A well-functioning monetary system was the basis of mercantilism and the modern state. The presented coin was struck at the Berlin mint. The obverse features the image of the ruler in a cuirass, and on the reverse there is a panoply with the Prussian eagle under the royal crown. This design was used on the coins for the first time after Frederick II joined the so-called War of the Austrian Succession. The coin was thus not only a means of payment, but also a means of propaganda. Also interesting is the inscription on the obverse, relevant to the internal politics of the country – Frederick, King of Prussians. By adding that, Frederick II wanted to get closer to his subjects, for whom the concept of state or nation was still rather illusory. In keeping with his philosophy of enlightened absolutism, Frederick II saw himself more as a supreme official serving the state than as a passive consumer of the wealth earned by his subjects. The minting of the friedrichsdor was continued by his successors for over 100 years. The coin was minted until 1855, when Frederick William IV of Prussia (1795-1861) abandoned the Golden Frederic, introducing the gold crown in 1858.

Mieszko Pawłowski