Description
The 10 Mark Prussia Wilhelm II. gold coins date from the time of the German Empire. They were published under Wilhelm I., who reigned from 1888 to 1913 as an emperor, and were legal tender in daily circulation. The Kingdom of Prussia was the largest and most influential single state of the German Empire, with two-thirds of the area and about three-fifths of the population.
After victory in the Franco-German War Wilhelm I., who was King of Prussia since 1861, was proclaimed the first German Emperor on 18 January 1871 in the Palace of Versailles. Under his rule, the 25 German states were united into a German empire, while each of the Regent States had the right to mint its own Reichsgoldmark. The free cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Luebeck minted the city coat of arms on the front of their coins.
The 10 Mark German Gold Coin is harder to come by than its 20 Mark counterpart, but not quite as rare as the 5 Mark German Gold, the coins often featured the depiction of the Emperor of Germany.
On the obverse of 10 Mark Gold Coins from Germany, you’ll predominantly find either Wilhelm I or Wilhelm II. The former Wilhelm lead as the Emperor from 1871 at unification until his death in 1888. The latter Wilhelm II ruled from December 1888 until 1918 when he abdicated as Emperor following the destructive defeat of the empire in World War I.
The rarest effigy you’ll find on 10 Mark German Gold Coins is that of Frederick III. The only son of Wilhelm I, Frederick III took the throne following his fathers death on 9 March 1888 but would die of larynx cancer just 99 days later on 15 June 1888. His son Wilhelm II would ascend the throne and hold the title of Emperor until 9 November 1918 as the end of World War I loomed.
