In 1772 Frankfurt, Germany, Jews are restricted to living in the ghetto and frequently are the victims of violence (“Pleasure and Privilege”). Mayer Amschel Rothschild returns from Hanover, where he was an apprentice banker, to make his fortune in his home town. Because only twelve Jewish marriages are permitted in a given year, he is forced to come up with a plan in order to marry his fiancée Gutele (“One Room”). He reopens his shop, carrying goods and rare coins. At the Frankfurt Fair, he entices Prince William of Hesse with fanciful tales about rare coins (“He Tossed A Coin”), then bribes the prince in order to marry Gutele. Later, Mayer becomes agent for the court bankers, but he wants more.