GERMANY. Brandenburg-Preußen. Wilhelm I, 1861-1888. Vereinstaler (Silver, 33 mm, 19.34 g, 12 h), so-called 'Dinertaler', 1871 A. WILHELM KOENIG VON PREUSSEN Bare head of Wilhelm I to right. Rev. EIN VEREINSTHALER XXX EIN PFUND FEIN Crowned eagle holding scepter and orb, 1871 below, facing and uniformed busts of Crown Prince Friedrich and Prince Friedrich Karl on its wings. Cf. AKS 99 (for prototype). Davenport 782 (for prototype). Jaeger 96 (for prototype). Olding 405 (for prototype). Thun 270 (for prototype). Rare and beautifully toned. Light marks, small deposits and tiny edge nicks, otherwise, extremely fine.


The enigmatic ‘Dinertaler’ rank among the curiosities of Prussian numismatics. Most of these rare pieces are made of Prussian 1866 Victory Thalers as host coins, originally minted to celebrate the Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War (14 June - 22 July 1866). Onto these were applied finely executed frontal busts of Crown Prince Friedrich (1831-1888, later Emperor Friedrich III) and Prince Friedrich Karl (1828–1885). Both figures played decisive roles in Prussia’s victory over Austria in the Austro-Prussian War and later again in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.

Even rarer than the 1866 ‘Dinertaler’ are those dated 1871, such as the present example, which were produced after the victory over France and in the context of German unification. The precise background of these pieces remains obscure. It is generally assumed, however, that they were distributed at a celebratory banquet held in Magdeburg (cf. Friedrich v. Schrötter: Wörterbuch der Münzkunde, Berlin 1970, p. 143).

This issue had already attracted the interest of collectors before the First World War. Thus, for example, in 1910 a specimen from the Stroehlin Collection was auctioned by Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge as a ‘Pattern Thaler’. On that occasion, the two heads were mistakenly identified as the busts of Wilhelm I and Louis III of Hesse (cf. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, The Stroehlin Collection, Second Portion, 30 May–8 June 1910, lot 1172, pl. XIV.).