Prince William was born in 1797 in Berlin. His father III. Frederick William was King of Prussia, and his mother was Princess Lujza of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. From their marriage, 9 children were born, Vilmos was the second in line.

The prince took part in the Napoleonic wars as a captain in his youth. He earned the Iron Cross for his behavior in battles.

He came to the fore in politics when his brother Vilmos Frigyes became the king, and because of his childlessness, he became the heir to the throne. He was crowned king of Prussia in 1861.

The heyday of the empire can be attributed to William's reign, the German economy was constantly catching up behind the United States and Great Britain in terms of development. In 1879, the "Union of the Three Emperors" (Russian-Austrian-German) was established. Under his rule, the Prussian state became a German superpower, which during the 1880s colonized a number of Oceanian archipelagos.

Although Vilmos gained great popularity in his old age among his subjects, two assassination attempts were committed against him in 1878. He ended his reign at the age of 91 in 1888. He was succeeded by William II.

During the reign of King William I of Prussia and German Emperor, many changes took place in the German coinage. In 1861, when Vilmos ascended the throne, the main currency in the Prussian coinage was still thalers. Vilmos, however, supported the creation of German unity and, as part of this, the introduction of the German imperial brand. The mark was introduced in 1871, after the Franco-Prussian War, and quickly became the basis of the German coinage system. During William's reign, many other changes took place in the German coinage. In 1867, the German gold mark was introduced, which became the official gold money of the new German empire. In 1875, the German two-pfennig coin was introduced, which became the smallest currency unit of the empire. During William's reign, the German coinage system developed significantly. The introduction of the mark created a stable and uniform currency for the German empire, and the introduction of the gold mark helped the economy of the empire grow. Some of the coins minted during William's reign are particularly valuable. These include the 1871 10-mark silver coin celebrating victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The obverse of the coin shows the portrait of Vilmos, and the reverse the Prussian and German coats of arms. Another valuable coin is the 2 pfenniges of 1875, one of the earliest coins of the German Empire. The German coat of arms can be seen on the obverse of the coin, and the date and denomination on the reverse. Coins minted during William's reign are still popular among collectors. Coins are valuable not only for their historical significance, but also for their beauty and rarity.