Description:

Frederick II King of Prussia
Leipzig, Kingdom of Prussia, February 7, 1763
Frederick the Great Boldly Signed LS Relating To Money Collection 3 Days Before the 1763 War-Ending Treaty of Paris!
LS

A 1p LS in German boldly signed by Prussian King Frederick II (1712-1786) near the top. The signature measures approximately 2.25" x 1.875" alone. February 7, 1763. Leipzig, Kingdom of Prussia. Secretarially inscribed on a laid watermarked bifold paper. Docketed along the bottom edge of the first page. The two inner pages and outer leaf are blank. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and a few minor mounting traces on the outer leaf. Else near fine. 7.375" x 9.125." Provenance: Ex-Parke Bernet Galleries, 1963. Accompanied by a full English translation.

Clamor Frederick Hagedorn (1793-1867), Consul of Bavaria at Philadelphia after 1841, provided a full English translation of Frederick the Great's directive in a 2pp autograph letter signed by him, which is included in the lot. April 18, 1850. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Inscribed on pale blue bifold stationery with integral address leaf. Addressed to H. Gilpin of Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Flattened transmittal folds, a few scattered pencil marks and isolated loss to the gutter. Mounting traces verso, else near fine. 8.25" x 10.625."

Frederick II addressed this directive to a lieutenant and aide-de-camp named Von Goltz, in part: "I received your Report of the 7th instant respecting the collections - and reply to you that it will do very well, but that you ought to have obtained 400 rixdollars instead of the 300 sent, which you have procured [and] which was not according to my idea. I am your affectionate king…"

The timing of this letter is especially interesting, as it pertained to money collecting just three days before the long and costly Seven Years' War (1756-1763) would formally conclude with the Treaty of Paris, signed on February 10, 1763. Perhaps the Prussian king's concern over the loss of 100 rixdollars shows that he was anxious to recoup as much money as he could to start rebuilding the war-ravaged economy.

Frederick the Great had, from the 1750s, focused on improving and standardizing Prussia's monetary system. He and his fiscal advisors focused on realigning currency's face value with intrinsic value, and tried to keep currency abundant and in circulation. Two major types of currency in Prussia at this time were the silver-based Prussian thaler, and the Friedrich d'or, a gold-based money. The directive concerns rixdollars (Reichsthalers), which was an all-encompassing English term used to describe silver coinage used in Europe.

Frederick II ruled Prussia between 1740-1786. Under a rulership style best described as "enlightened absolutism," Frederick II blended autocracy with certain Enlightenment reforms. His policies were thus a combination of the reactionary and the progressive. Some of his achievements included greatly expanding the kingdom; modernizing government; and fostering the arts and letters.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.375" x 9.125"
  • Medium: LS

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