AUSTRIA. Holy Roman Empire. Maria Theresia, Empress, 1740-1780. Taler (Silver, 39 mm, 28.12 g), blank planchet mint error, with edge inscription, circa 1800-1850. Edge inscirption: IUSTITIA - ET - CLEMENTIA. Lightly toned. An extremely rare and interesting mint error. Tiny marks, otherwise, very fine.


This striking mint error likely originated in one of the many European or Asian mints that produced the popular Maria Theresa Talers. For reasons unknown, after the edge inscription was applied, the obverse and reverse were never struck. The edge inscription indicates a restrike from the first half of the 19th century. The planchet’s edge, at 3.5 mm thick, is slightly heavier than that of a fully struck coin, and the letters of the edge legend are correspondingly larger. Once these Talers are properly struck, the metal compresses and the edge thickness is normally reduced to about 2 mm. As a natural consequence of the greater thickness, the planchet also measures only 39 mm in diameter, compared to the usual 41–42 mm.

In addition, there is a small test punch at the rim, which probably occurred when someone encountered this unusual piece in circulation. Maria Theresa Talers owed their extraordinarily long and widespread circulation to the fact that they were struck in vast quantities and were widely recognised as an internationally accepted trade currency whose fine silver content was guaranteed by their familiar portrait and design. Faced with a piece lacking this portrait, the observer would naturally have regarded it as suspicious and, to be certain, applied a small punch to confirm it was solid silver.

Such an unstruck planchet, bearing the full edge inscription yet lacking any obverse or reverse design, is a remarkable and highly unusual survivor — a piece of great numismatic interest.