Friedrich d'or
The Friedrich d'or was a Prussian gold coin (pistole) nominally worth 5 silver Prussian thalers. It was subsequently copied by other North German states under their own rulers' names (August-, Friedrich-August-, Christian d'or) and valued at 4.8-5 silver North German thalers.
It was used from 1741 to 1855 as a
Prussian purchase contracts or bonds payable in 5-thaler gold pistoles (rather than silver currency) were noted as payable in "XX thalers, preußisch Courant" or "Friedrich d'or".
History
Modelled on the Spanish
The Friedrich d'or pistole of 5 thalers was issued when the ratio of gold to silver price dropped from 15 to 14.5 in the first half of the 18th century, making it cheaper to repay thaler-denominated obligations in gold. At 6.05 g fine gold per pistole, each thaler was worth 1.21g fine gold & 1.21 x14.5 = 17.545 g fine silver, cheaper than the prevailing standard of 19.488 g fine silver. Even at the pistole's lower value of 4.8 thalers, the thaler's silver equivalent of 18.3 g is still below the standard.
What followed was the North German thaler's silver standard lowered after 1750 to 131⁄3 per
Only Bremen stayed on the Thaler Gold standard of 5 thalers per pistole until German Reunification in 1871.
Appearance
On the obverse of the Friedrich d'or was the king's head, and on the reverse was an eagle standing on its shield.
See also
- Ephraimiten
Bibliography
- ISBN 4-87187-800-7)