1 Thaler Duchy of Nassau (1806 - 1866) Silver William, Duke of Nassau

1836, Nassau (Duchy), Wilhelm. Large Silver Thaler (Kronentaler) Coin. PCGS XF+

Mint Year: 1836 Assayer: Davenport 743, KM-54. Denomination: Thaler (Kronentaler) Condition: Numerous circulation-mark, scratches and light deposits, otherwise a nice XF! Weight: 29.51gm Diameter: 39mm Material: Silver

Obverse: Bare bust of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg right nd: WILHELM HERZOG ZU NASSAU

Reverse: Cronwed coat-of-arms of the Duchy of Nassau, supported by two crowned roaring lions. Date (1836) below.

The Duchy of Nassau (German: Herzogtum Nassau), was a German state within the Confederation of the Rhine and later in the German Confederation. The male line of its ruling dynasty, now extinct, was the House of Nassau.

On 17 July 1806, the remaining counties of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg joined the Confederation of the Rhine. Under pressure from Napoleon I both counties merged to form the Duchy of Nassau on 30 August 1806, under the joint rule of Frederick Augustus, and his younger cousin Frederick William. As Frederick August had no heirs, he agreed that Frederick William should become sole ruler after his death. However Frederick William died from a fall on the stairs at Weilburg Castle on 9 January 1816, and it was his son William who became Duke of Nassau.

At the Congress of Vienna, the Principality of Orange-Nassau was incorporated into the Duchy of Nassau and subsequently the unified Duchy joined the German Confederation with Wiesbaden as its new capital. Through the extinction of most lines, the Nassau-Usingen branch of the Nassau-Weilburg line under Duke William became the reigning house of Nassau until the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia and incorporated into the Province of Hesse-Nassau. William’s son Adolphe, the last Duke of Nassau, received Luxembourg after the male line of Nassau-Dillenburg became extinct in 1890.

Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg (Given names: Georg Wilhelm August Heinrich Belgicus zu Nassau-Weilburg/zu Nassau) (14 June 1792, Kirchheimbolanden – 20 August/30 August 1839, Bad Kissingen) was the father of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Queen Sophia (consort of King of Oscar II of Sweden).

Wilhelm was the eldest son of Frederick William, Duke of Nassau and his wife Burgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg.

On 9 January 1816, he succeeded his father, Duke Frederick William, as the Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and joint Duke of Nassau with his cousin, Frederick Augustus, of the Nassau-Usingen branch of his family. When his cousin and co-Duke died on 24 March 1816, Wilhelm inherited the Usingen territories and became sole ruler of the Duchy of Nassau. He kept the title of Duke of Nassau for the rest of his reign.