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Unique and Fascinating German Taler on a Copper 1 Pfennig Planchet
This is a unique and fascinating major mint error from Prussia, Germany. After extensive research, I am not aware of an other German Taler struck on a smaller denomination as an off-metal mint error. Experts in the U.S. and Germany were consulted, as well as searching through auction house catalogs and reference books.
This copper one Pfennig planchet was struck by Taler dies and is virtually as struck and in gem condition. The obverse is uniface since the planchet indented a silver Taler planchet. The reverse shows the Taler reverse design of the crowned heraldic eagle.
The Talers were struck in Berlin, Hanover and Frankfurt but since the mint mark is on the obverse design and this off-metal is uniface, the mint can not be determined.
A normal silver Taler is .900 silver, weighs 18.52 grams and has a diameter of 33mm. This is a dramatic and visual contrast to this off-metal Taler struck on a 1.53 gram copper planchet with a diameter of 17.75mm.
This is half of a mated pair and possibly the other coin was also accidentally released into circulation. It is a silver Taler with a full indent of a one Pfennig planchet on the reverse.
It is one of the most dramatic mint errors to ever surface out of Germany, a country with extremely strict quality control at the mints. This unique off-metal deserves to be included in the finest collection of mint errors or German coinage.
The one Pfennig planchet fully indented a Taler planchet when it was struck by the reverse Taler die. Here is a rendering:
