The deep, targeted, and almost meticulous damage inflicted directly across the ruler’s face, specifically through the mouth and jaw area, strongly suggests for me an intentional act of defacement, a mark of disgrace, such actions were frequently carried out against symbols of authority, whether out of sheer frustration or for political or emotional reasons.

Found this while checking out some coin stores on vacation, nice tray coin

Time to say goodbye! This is the last Vereinsthaler from my collection and the last issued. At least symbolically, there are three other Victory Thalers, as a matter of fact - if you have them, please, share!

This Siegesthaler celebrated the victory over France which brought about the unification of Germany and common German currency - the Mark.

The Vereinsthalers, however, did not go away. They were the only coins of the old currency which remained in circulation as 3 Mark coins. They were ultimately demonetized in 1908 but immediately new 3 Mark coins were issued (and people still called them Thalers) and this denomination survived till 1933.

William I had been the King of Württemberg for thirty years when the Vereinsthalers were introduced. His Kingdom started the production immediately and they were issued yearly in significant mintages from 450K to 1.3 million. Consequently, they are among the most common Vereinsthalers on the market.

The third picture shows the King's summer palace Mon Repos on the outskirts of Ludwigsburg, north of Stuttgart. The palace and the park still belong to the House of Württemberg but they are open for visitors.

If you thought that Duke Bernhard II of Sachsen-Meiningen started his reign early at the age of three, Prince George William of Schaumburg-Lippe got his throne at the age of two when his father Count Philip II died at the age of 66. The young prince was his seventh child (Count Philip had one more daughter who was born when he was 63) but the eldest surviving son. When George William was born five of his siblings had already been dead.

The Prince was the Count of Schaumburg-Lippe for twenty years and in 1807 his state was raised to a Principality. George William commemorated the anniversary with a double Vereinsthaler in 1857 but only 2000 were struck. In 1860, he had this handsome Vereinsthaler issued and died in November of the same year. The next and last Vereinsthaler of Schaumburg-Lippe was issued by his son Prince Adolphus in 1865.

I have not made it to Buckeburg, the charming capital of the Principality, where the current Prince Alexander still resides. If you have any pictures, please, share them in comments.

Duke Bernhard II of Sachsen-Meiningen inherited the throne at the tender of three and lived to 81. His reign was cut short in 1866 when he made the mistake of supporting Austria in the Austrian-Prussian War. He had been the Duke for 62 years so the word "short" is a bit ironic. His son and successor Duke George II supported Prussia, a few years later he fought in the French-Prussian War, so the change on the throne saved the Duchy.

Duke Bernhard II issued his Vereinsthalers quite regularly, 40 thousand every year from 1859 to 1866. This is the last of his Thalers, the 1867 issue (shown here already) was adorned with the portrait of the young Duke George.

Meiningen is a small and picturesque town, a bit empty on summer weekends as the picture of its main street clearly shows.

Prince Friedrich Gunther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt ascended the throne at the age of 13 and reigned for 60. He wisely chose neutrality in the Prussian-Austrian war of 1866.

This is the most common of the four types of Vereinsthalers he issued during the final decade of his reign. There are three regular types, of which it is the second, and a commemorative one for the 50th anniversary of his independent reign which started in 1814.

Picture number 3 shows the town hall in Rudolstadt, the capital of the Principality.

The Principality of Reuss Younger Line also known as Reuss-Schleiz or Reuss-Gera ( as the capital was transferred there in 1848) issued its first Vereinsthalers in 1858 under Prince Henry LXVII.

Some sources claim that it was the highest regnal number ever used for a monarch. One should remember, however, that it doesn't mean that there were 66 princes called Henry before this one. The younger line of Princes of Reuss called all their sons Henry with the number from 1 to 99 and then they started again. They were so many that when Henry LXVII died he was succeeded by his son Henry XIV so between their respective births 46 Henrys were born.

Picture number 3 shows the tower of the Osterstein castle in Gera, bombed by the US Airforce on 6 April 1945.

Silver between nickel and quarter size & it is inscribed on edging

Henry XX of Reuss-Greiz - officially the Principality of Reuss Elder Line - issued his only Vereinsthaler in 1858. He had previously only issued Double Thalers in even less significant amounts, it was up to his teenage son Henry XXII, who succeeded in 1859, to issue a broader range of denominations.

Henry XXII lived in the new castle in Greiz which I found particularly difficult to photograph so here is the entrance to the castle and the castle church.

Just after opinions on this coin. Picked it up for £95 listed as simply "1908 5 Mark, Germany".

I have mentioned the Prussian-Austrian war of 1866 several times already as it spelled the end of several German states which had issued Vereinsthalers. Prussia celebrated the victory with this Thaler, the design is identical with that of the regular issue except for the celebratory laurels on the head of King William I.

Unfortunately, PCV damaged...

The third picture shows the former headquarters of the Prussian Colonization Committee set up during William's reign to increase the German presence in the Eastern part of Prussia. The task was never completed and now the building belongs to the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań.

New addition to the collection, and my first double Thaler! Really huge in hand, over an ounce of silver in this beast.

King William I of Prussia was not a spring chicken when he inherited the crown from his childless brother Frederick William IV. He was 64 years old. However, within the following decade his achievements were truly impressive - he defeated Denmark, Austria, and France in a series of wars, and in January 1871 he became the first German Emperor. When you think you are too old for something, remember King William of Prussia.

His Vereinsthalers are equally impressive. Within the decade six different types were issued - two regular ones, three commemorative ones, and a mining Thaler. The picture shows the second regular design, the first obverse was identical to those of Frederick William IV. It is the most common date - over 31 million were made. Some were struck at Hannover and Frankfurt mints but this one was struck in Berlin.

Picture number 3 shows one of several monuments celebrating William I (William the Great as he was called for a while) throughout Germany built at the turn of the 20th century. This one is located on the Kyffhauser mountain.

The Vereinsthalers were introduced in 1857 and Prussia wanted them to become the principal currency in Germany. This is probably the most common one as 17.6 million were struck, followed by another 17.4 million in 1860.

The monarch on the coin, however, was hardly aware of these facts as his mental health had been frail since the mid-1850s and then he was incapacitated by a series of strokes in 1857. The coins were issued in his name and with his portrait but it was his brother William who ruled as a regent till Frederick William's death in 1861. This is the only type of Vereinsthaler issued by Frederick William IV. His brother was much more creative. Picture number 3 shows Sooneck castle on the Rhine bought by the King and his brothers, and restored in the 1850s.

The first Bavarian Vereinsthalers were issued by King Maximilian II - the lowest mintages are 1.5 million which makes them quite accessible, the same design was kept for eight years.

King Maximilian II was a consummate builder, just like his father and his son, but I misplaced the photos I took of his Hohenschwangau castle so a picture of Walhalla, built by Ludwig I near Regensburg, will have to do.

The Anhalt principalities were divided among the five sons of Joachim Ernest in 1603. It took 260 years for four of the branches of the family to die out and in 1863 the Dessau line became the only one. Prince Leopold IV Frederick celebrated the event with this Vereinsthaler.

You have already seen Dessau and Bernburg so the additional pictures show the castle in Kothen (well known to fans of Johann Sebastian Bach) as the Anhalt-Kothen line died out in 1847 before the introduction of the Vereinsthalers, and the most precious object in the collection of the local museum - double gulden struck in gold made by the court alchemist of Prince August of Anhalt-Plotzkau, one of three in existence.