Early vs. Late Die State: Evaluating the Strike and Die Wear on a 1705 Brunswick-Lüneburg 2/3 Thaler (KM / Welter 2153)

A coin struck from a fresh die looks completely different than one struck from a dying one. Let’s look at the die progression here.

When a collector posts a coin for identification and valuation, the conversation often stops at the basics: what it is, what it’s worth, and maybe a note on rarity. But for those of us who specialize in die varieties—who spend our time chasing progressive die states, clash marks, and the subtle evidence of repolishing—there is a deeper story hiding on every planchet. The 2/3 Thaler issues of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle in the early 1700s offer a fascinating case study in die deterioration, weak striking, and the minting practices of the Hanoverian duchies. In this article, I want to walk through the key die-state concepts that every collector and buyer should understand, using this coin as our anchor.

Identifying the Coin: Context Before Condition

Before we can evaluate die states, we need to anchor ourselves in exactly what we’re looking at. The coin in question is a 1705, 2/3 Thaler from Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle, catalogued as KM 17 and referenced as Welter 2153. These Krause-Mishler numbers and Welter references are essential tools—they allow you to cross-reference auction records, track price trends over decades (the 1997 Krause listed this type in VF at $90), and locate comparable sales. Recent auction data suggests coins in similar grade have realized around 100€ (approximately $120 USD) before buyer’s premiums, which typically add another 20%.

The obverse legend refers to George Ludwig—the future King George I of Great Britain. In 1704–1705, he was not yet Elector of Hanover; he was still Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The dynastic significance is enormous: when Queen Anne died in 1714 without surviving children, the Act of Settlement 1701 barred Catholics from the throne, and George Ludwig, as the nearest Protestant relative (great-grandson of James I), ascended. That prohibition against a Catholic heir was not removed from British succession law until 2015. So this coin is not just a piece of German States silver—it is a numismatic artifact of the Hanoverian succession.

Understanding Die States: The Life Cycle of a Mint Die

Every coin begins its life as a blank planchet pressed between two dies. Those dies, in turn, have a life cycle of their own. Understanding that cycle is the foundation of die variety collecting.

Early Die State (EDS)

In the early die state, the die is fresh—newly engraved and hardened. Every detail the engraver cut into the steel is sharp and crisp. On a Brunswick-Lüneburg 2/3 Thaler, you would expect to see:

• Fully defined lettering with no merging or softness
• Crisp hair detail on the portrait of George Ludwig
• Sharp borders, with each denticle and rim element fully formed
• Clear legend spacing with no evidence of metal flow anomalies

EDS examples command premiums among variety specialists because they represent the engraver’s intent in its purest form. However, they are relatively scarce in the market because the mint typically didn’t pull dies early—they used them until they wore out or cracked.

Middle Die State (MDS)

As thousands of strikings accumulate, the die begins to show wear. In the middle die state, you’ll notice:

• Slight softening of the highest-relief details (hair, crown elements)
• The beginning of flow lines—radiating striations caused by metal flowing into the die under pressure
• Minor loss of detail in recessed areas where cracks may begin to form

For the 2/3 Thaler series, MDS examples are the most commonly encountered. The large-format silver planchets required significant striking pressure, which accelerated die wear compared to smaller denominations.

Late Die State (LDS)

By the late die state, the die is nearing the end of its useful life. This is where things get interesting—and where casual collectors often mistake die deterioration for mint-made errors or post-mint damage. Key indicators include:

• Severe flow lines that give the fields a rough, granular texture
• Loss of legend detail: letters may merge, become indistinct, or disappear entirely
• Die deterioration doubling: a form of mechanical doubling caused by the die chipping or eroding around design elements, distinct from hub doubling
• Pitting in the fields where tiny pieces of the die surface have broken away

I’ve examined many late-die-state 2/3 Thalers where the portrait is nearly smooth and the legend is barely legible. These coins are often undergraded because the wear is attributed to circulation rather than die condition, when in fact both factors are at play.

Die Deterioration: The Silent Value Killer (and Variety Creator)

Die deterioration is one of the most misunderstood phenomena in numismatics. It occurs when the mint continues to use a die long past the point of optimal quality. The tremendous pressure of the coining press—especially on large silver pieces like the 2/3 Thaler—causes microscopic cracks and erosion in the die steel. As metal flows into these imperfections during each strike, the resulting coin shows:

• Rough, granular fields instead of smooth, reflective surfaces
• Weak or missing design elements that appear worn but are actually the result of die erosion
• Raised, irregular blobs on the coin surface where the die has pitted

In my experience grading German States coinage, die deterioration is endemic to the larger silver denominations. The Brunswick-Lüneburg mints were operating with 17th and 18th-century technology—die steel was not as uniform or hard as modern dies, and quality control was minimal. A mint master’s priority was producing coins, not preserving die integrity.

The critical skill for collectors is distinguishing die deterioration from actual circulation wear. Here’s a practical checklist:

1. Examine the fields first. If the fields are rough and granular but the design elements are still relatively sharp, the problem is die deterioration, not circulation wear.
2. Check the high points. If the high points of the design (the portrait’s nose, the crown, the highest shield elements) show wear consistent with the weak strike areas, it’s circulation wear. If the high points are sharp but the fields are rough, it’s die deterioration.
3. Look at the edges. Die deterioration often produces characteristic “pitting” near the rims and in the fields adjacent to major design elements.

Clash Marks: When Dies Collide

Another die-state phenomenon that collectors should understand is die clashing. This occurs when a planchet fails to feed into the striking chamber, and the obverse and reverse dies strike each other directly. The result is that design elements from one die are impressed into the surface of the other.

On subsequent coins struck by these clashed dies, you’ll see incuse (sunken) impressions of the opposite die’s design showing up in the fields. For example, on a 2/3 Thaler, you might see faint impressions of the reverse shield appearing in the obverse fields, or portions of the obverse legend faintly visible on the reverse.

Clash marks are important for several reasons:

• They help establish die state sequence. A coin with clash marks is, by definition, in a later die state than one without them (assuming the same die pair).
• They can affect value. Minor clash marks are generally considered interesting but neutral. Severe clash marks that obscure design elements can detract from eye appeal and grade.
• They are diagnostic for variety attribution. In series like Morgan Dollars (VAMs), clash marks are key identifiers. While the German States series doesn’t have a comprehensive die variety cataloguing system comparable to VAMs, the principle is the same.

When I examine a coin like the 1705 2/3 Thaler, I always check for clash marks under magnification. They can confirm a later die state attribution and add to the coin’s story.

Weak Strikes and Repolishing: The Mint’s Dilemma

Weak strikes and die repolishing are two sides of the same coin (pun intended). As dies wear, mint workers sometimes attempted to extend their useful life by repolishing the die surface. This process involved grinding or polishing away the worn outer layer of the die to restore a smoother striking surface.

The Effects of Die Repolishing

Repolishing has several visible effects on the resulting coins:

• Loss of fine detail. Engraved lines that were worn but still present may be polished away entirely.
• Flattened design elements. Relief is reduced because material has been removed from the die surface.
• Changed appearance of lettering. Legend elements may appear thinner, wider, or differently shaped than on earlier strikes from the same die.
• Evidence of tooling marks. In some cases, the polishing process leaves visible striations or marks on the die that transfer to the coin.

Repolished dies create what are essentially new varieties—the coins they produce look noticeably different from earlier strikes of the same die pair. For the specialist, tracking these repolished states is a core part of the hobby.

Weak Strikes: Die Condition vs. Press Pressure

A weak strike occurs when insufficient pressure is applied during the coining process, or when the die has worn to the point where it can no longer fully impress the design into the planchet. The distinction matters:

• Press-related weak strikes tend to affect the entire coin uniformly—all design elements are soft, but the fields remain smooth.
• Die-related weak strikes are selective—certain areas (often the center of the obverse or the periphery of the reverse) show weakness while others remain sharp, reflecting the uneven wear pattern of the die.

On the 1705 2/3 Thaler, the large diameter and relatively high relief of the portrait and arms make weak strikes particularly common. Collectors should be aware that a weakly struck example may be undergraded if the weakness is attributed to die condition rather than circulation.

Practical Takeaways for Buyers and Sellers

Whether you’re buying, selling, or simply cataloging a collection, understanding die states and die wear has direct financial implications. Here are my recommendations:

For Buyers

• Always examine coins under magnification (at least 5x–10x) before purchasing. Die deterioration, clash marks, and repolishing evidence are often invisible to the naked eye.
• Research the specific die variety. For the Brunswick-Lüneburg 2/3 Thaler, reference the Welter number (2153 in this case) and check auction archives for comparable die states.
• Adjust your price expectations based on die state. An EDS example may be worth a significant premium over an LDS example in the same technical grade.
• Beware of overgrading. A coin in late die state may appear more worn than it actually is. The technical grade should reflect both circulation wear AND die condition.

For Sellers

• Photograph the coin carefully. Capture both fields and design details. If clash marks or die deterioration are present, document them—specialists will want to see this evidence.
• Describe the die state honestly. Transparency builds trust and attracts the right buyers. A coin described as “late die state with die deterioration” will attract variety specialists who may pay more than a general collector.
• Reference the correct catalog numbers. KM 17 and Welter 2153 are the standard references for this coin. Using these numbers in your listing improves discoverability.

The Bigger Picture: Why Die States Matter

Die variety collecting is sometimes dismissed as overly specialized or esoteric, but it’s actually one of the most intellectually rewarding areas of numismatics. Every die tells a story—of the engraver who created it, the mint workers who maintained it, and the economic pressures that determined when it was finally retired.

The 1705 Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle 2/3 Thaler is a perfect example. This coin was struck in a duchy that would soon produce a king of England. It was made in a mint using technology that was centuries old even by the standards of the day. The die that struck it may have been polished and repolished, clashed and cracked, used and reused until it could produce no more. And yet, more than 300 years later, we can still read its story in the metal—if we know what to look for.

As a die variety specialist, I encourage every collector to look beyond the surface grade and the price guide value. Study the die state. Look for clash marks. Evaluate the strike. These details don’t just affect value—they connect you to the actual process of minting, to the physical reality of how coins were made in an age before mechanization and computers. That connection is, in my view, the true reward of this hobby.

Conclusion

The 1705 Brunswick-Lüneburg 2/3 Thaler (KM 17 / Welter 2153) is more than a $100 silver coin with a Hanoverian pedigree. It is a window into early 18th-century minting technology, die management practices, and the economic realities of the German States. For the die variety specialist, it represents an opportunity to apply serious numismatic analysis to a coin that most collectors would simply slot into a holder and forget.

Understanding die states—from the crisp detail of an early die state to the rough, granular fields of a deteriorated die—is essential for accurate grading, fair pricing, and meaningful collecting. Clash marks, weak strikes, and repolishing evidence are not defects to be ignored; they are data points that enrich our understanding of a coin’s production history.

Whether you pay $90 or $200 for your next 2/3 Thaler, take the time to examine it through the lens of die state analysis. You’ll see the coin differently—and you’ll never look at a “simple” identification request the same way again.

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