Assembly of Princes -- Frankfurt-on-the-Main 1863
No.1 Ernst II - Duke of Sachsen Coburg Gotha No.2 Friedrich I - Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau No.3 Friedrich Franz II - Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin No.4 Friedrich Wilhelm - Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz No.5 Adolph Georg - Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe No.6 Dr. Müller - Mayor of Frankfurt No.7 Karl Alexander - Grand Duke Sachsen-Weimar No.8 Johann - King of Saxony No.9 Peter - Grand Duke of Oldenburg No.10 Maximilian Joseph II - King of Bavaria No.11 Dr. Roeck - Mayor from Lübeck No.12 Heinrich XIV - Prince of Reuss-Schleiz No.13 Franz-Joseph I - Emperor of Austria-Hungary No.14 Heinrich - Prince of The Netherlands No.15 Dr. Haller - Mayor of Hamburg No.16 Georg V - King of Hannover No.17 Georg Victor - Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont No.18 Friedrich Wilhelm I - Elector of Hessen No.19 Freidrich Günther - Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt No.20 Johann - Prince of Liechtenstein No.21 Bernhard II - Duke of Sachsen-Meiningen No.22 Günther Friedrich Carl II - Prince of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen No.23 Arnold Duckwitz - Mayor of Bremen No.24 Frederick Wilhelm Ludwig - Grand Duke of Baden No.25 Adolf Wilhelm - Duke of Nassau No.26 Wilhelm - Duke of Brunswick No.27 Ludwig III - Grand Duke of Hessen-Darmstadt No.28 Karl I - Crown Prince of Württemberg Congress of Princess - Frankfurt 1863 (Larger image here)

This project was inspired by the photograph which dominates the top of the page.

This remarkable assemblage was gathered on 1st September 1863 at Frankfurt-on-the-Main. Called by the Archduke of Austria to try and both influence the formation of the German conferadation and curb Prussia's (the second most powerful nation within the conferadation at the time) growing power. Prussia is notably absent from the gathering. Altogether there are:

1 Emperor
3 Kings
1 Elector
9 Princes
6 Grand Dukes
4 Dukes
4 Free City Mayors

The vast majority of these rulers issued coins with most of them issuing the 1 thaler piece, a common "bullion" coin of the time. My project is to collect a coin for each ruler and to put a coin image beside that of the representative at the meeting in the table below.

Not every space will be filled. The 1 thaler coin from Lichtenstein is extremely rare and I am unlikely to be able to obtain one. Also, while Freidrich I from Anhalt-Dessau did have coins issued bearing his image they were unfortunately not the thaler nor the 3 Mark Piece. An example of his father Leopold IV will have to suffice which is somewhat fitting as he was actually still alive at the time of the photograph. Additionally the city of Hamburg did not issue the 1 thaler coin at all so a different demonation will have to suffice as a representative coin.

The Mayors of the four free citys do not, of course issue coins in their name but it should still be possible to obtain a representative type that would have been used at the time. The City of Lubeck did not issue a thaler at the time of this meeting, though it did in the later part of the previous century and it issued 3 Mark coins in the early 20th Century.

It is only Prince Henry of the Netherlands for which no suitable coin can be inserted. In his role as "Governor of Luxemburg" he issued no coins at all. Indeed, it's amazing to think that out of the 28 individuals in this photograph only 5 did not have their image on a coin.

The rulers are notionally numbered 1 to 28 from left to right.

I hope this is of interest.

Malcolm Megaw ©

Photo No. Ruler Territory Ruler Image Coin image to be added Coin Type Reference
No.1 Ernst II Duke of
Sachsen Coburg Gotha		 Ernst II
To be added
 1 Thaler C.121
No.2 No.2 Friedrich I Hereditary Prince
of Anhalt-Dessau		 Friedrich I Anhalt
To be added
 1 Thaler
of Leopold IV		 KM14
No.3 Friedrich Franz II Grand Duke of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin		 Friedrich Franz II
To be added
 1 Thaler KMA310
No.4 Friedrich Wilhelm Grand Duke of
Mecklenburg-Strelitz		 Friedrich Wilhelm
To be added
 1 Thaler KM100
No.5 Adolph Georg Prince of
Schaumburg-Lippe 		Adolph Georg
To be added
 1 Thaler C.48 / C.51
No.6 Dr. Müller Mayor of
Frankfurt 		Dr. Muller
To be added
 City issue
1 Thaler		 KM360
No.7 Karl Alexander Grand Duke
Sachsen-Weimar		 Karl Alexander
To be added
 1 Thaler C.93
No.8 Johann King of
Saxony 		Johann Saxony Johann 1859 1 Thaler 1 Thaler KM1199
No.9 Peter Grand Duke of
Oldenburg 		Peter
To be added
 2/3's Thaler KM196
No.10 Maximilian
Joseph II		 King of
Bavaria 		Maximilian Joseph II
To be added
 1 Thaler KM468
No.11 Dr. Roeck Mayor of
Lübeck 		Dr. Roeck
To be added
 City issued
1 Thaler		 KM168.2
No.12 Heinrich XIV Prince of
Reuss-Schleiz 		Heinrich LXVII
To be added
 1 Thaler KM73
No.13 Franz-Joseph I Emperor of
Austria-Hungary		 Franz-Joseph I
To be added
 1 Thaler KM2244
No.14 Heinrich Prince of
The Netherlands		 Heinrich
N/A
N/A N/A
No.15 Dr. Haller Mayor of Hamburg
To be added
 City issued
1 Shilling		 KM277
No.16 Georg V King of
Hannover 		Georg V
To be added
 1 Thaler KM220
No.17 Georg Victor Prince of
Waldeck-Pyrmont 		Georg Victor
To be added
 1 Thaler C.88
No.18 Friedrich Wilhelm I Elector of
Hessen 		Friedrich Wilhelm I
To be added
 1 Thaler KM621
No.19 Freidrich Günther Prince of
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 		Freidrich Günther
To be added
 1 Thaler C.70a
No.20 Johann II Prince of
Liechtenstein 		Johann II
To be added
 1 Thaler Y1
No.21 Bernhard II Duke of
Sachsen-Meiningen 		Bernhard II
To be added
 1 Thaler KM167
No.22 Günther Friedrich
Carl II 		Prince of
Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen 		Günther Friedrich Carl II
To be added
 1 Thaler C.22
No.23 Arnold Duckwitz Mayor of
Bremen		 No.23 Arnold Duckwitz
To be added
 City issued
1 Thaler		 KM246
No.24 Frederick Wilhelm
Ludwig 		Grand Duke of
Baden 		Friedrich
To be added
 1 Thaler KM240
No.25 Adolf Wilhelm Duke of
Nassau 		Adolf Wilhelm August Karl Friedrich
To be added
 1 Thaler C.62
No.26 Wilhelm Duke of
Brunswick 		Wilhelm
To be added
 1 Thaler KM1152
No.27 Ludwig III Grand Duke of
Hessen-Darmstadt 		Ludwig III
To be added
 1 Thaler KM338
No.28 Karl (Charles
Frederick Alexander) 		Crown Prince of
Württemberg 		Karl Charles Frederick Alexander
To be added
 1 Thaler KM615

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Other coins

Over time the taler denomination was discontinued though the 3 mark denomination was similar in size and value.

Photo No. Ruler Territory Ruler Image Coin image Coin Type Reference
-N/A- Wilhelm II German Emperor
King of Prussia 		William I Prussia Prussia William II 1913 3 mark 3 Mark KM535
-N/A- Fredrich Wilhelm IV King of Prussia Fredrich Wilhelm IV Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm IV 1855 1 thaler 1 Thaler KM455
-N/A- Fredrich Wilhelm IV King of Prussia Fredrich Wilhelm IV Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm IV 1861 1 thaler - Coronation of Wilhelm and Augusta 1 Thaler KM488
-N/A- Otto King of Bavaria Otto Bavaria Bavaria Otto 1910 3 mark 3 Mark KM515
-N/A- Ludwig III King of Bavaria Ludwig III of Bavaria Bavaria Ludwig III 1914 3 mark 3 Mark KM515

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