2017-03-18 Sat

A fake 1759 silver 18 groscher of Berlin, graded Extremely Fine, made using debased silver to trap Russians who were ruling East Prussia, is being offered by Tempelhofer Münzenhaus-Berlin on 6th April at an estimated Value of €1,200. It’s 15 times the estimate for a similar real coin of the same period.

During the Seven Years’ War in the 1750s and 1760s, Frederick II fought against Russia’s queen Elizabeth I. East Prussia was where ideas of Russia’s Elizabeth I did not match with that of Prussia’s leader, King Frederick II.

England, Portugal and Prussia were on one side against Russia, France, Sweden, the House of Habsburg in Austria etc. East Prussia was a Polish kingdom but came under local control because its sovereign rights were sold in 1657. Elizabeth I got East Prussia, hoping to swap it for Poland and expand the Russian Empire westwards. Russia issued local coinage at the Königsberg Mint between 1759 and 1762 in its effort to claim East Prussia.

The designs included Elizabeth I Latin legends but the reverse remained Prussian with the crowned eagle holding a sceptre and an orb. Apart from the denomination, the groscher also featured a legend stating its relation with the Kingdom of Prussia. Elizabeth I maintained the Silver content in Prussian issues, and lesser value silver coinage was discontinued.

Public counterfeiters for King Frederick II made fake 18-gröscher coins with less silver content as their economic warfare strategy. The obverse legend on the fake coins features RUSSIA or RUSSIAE Instead of RUSS. After the death of Elizabeth, a losing Frederick II achieved a narrow victory.

The next King Peter III began peace negotiations, and an agreement was signed on 8th July 1762. East Prussia remained a part of Prussia.