Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Kingdom of Prussia
Wilhelm I
1 Silbergroschen
普魯士王國
威廉一世
1銀格羅申
Item number: A1514
Year: AD 1868
Material: Billon
Size: 18.3 x 18.3 x 0.9 mm
Weight: 2.1 g
Manufactured by: Berlin State Mint
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020
This is a 1 Silbergroschen coin issued by the Kingdom of Prussia in AD 1868, at a time when the unification of the German states had not yet been completed. Silbergroschen was a type of currency that was commonly used in various German states in the northern part of Germany before the unification of Germany.
The obverse of the coin features a right-facing portrait of King Wilhelm I of Prussia, with the surrounding inscription in a circular pattern reading “WILHELM KOENIG VON PREUSSEN” (Wilhelm, King of Prussia).
The reverse of the coin features the denomination and year of issue in German, with “1 SILBER GROSCHEN” (1 Silbergroschen) and “1868” prominently displayed. At the bottom is the mintmark “A,” indicating that the coin was struck at the Berlin State Mint. The upper edge of the coin displays the exchange rate between this coin and higher denomination thalers: “30 EINEN THALER” (30 coins equal 1 Thaler). The lower edge is inscribed with “SCHEIDE MÜNZE” (fiat coin), denoting the coin as legal tender in the Kingdom of Prussia.
Wilhelm I ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of Prussia in AD 1861, succeeding his late brother. During his reign, he appointed the conservative Otto von Bismarck as Prime Minister, who played a pivotal role in both domestic and foreign policies. In military matters, Wilhelm I, drawing from his experience in the Napoleonic Wars, relied on capable generals such as Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, who facilitated the modernisation of the Prussian army. Through victories in the three key wars— the Second Schleswig War (AD 1864), the Austro-Prussian War (AD 1866), and the Franco-Prussian War (AD 1870)— Wilhelm I became the first Emperor (Kaiser) of the unified German Empire, which was proclaimed in AD 1871.