The "New" 2016 MAria Theresa Thaler Catalog by Walter Hafner.

[Austrokiwi]

TThis new catalogue did more damage to my collecting interest than anything else( meaning I almost gave up).  I finally got around to looking at it again this week and  I feel like Charlie Brown when Lucy pulls the ball away from him.  For me, the catalogue is of very doubtful use. I won't go into all of the issues I have with it. I will just give one stunning example here. In the new catalogue, Hafner argues some coins that he used to believe were from Guenzburg (the 1890s)are now possibly Florence( the Florentine type has already been identified by Leypold and Michael Broome decades ago).  Hafner appears to dismiss that identification. Instead, he states because a 1763 thaler struck in Florence has a broken M he now thinks some other MTTs are likely to be 1814-1828  Florence because they have broken "M"s  ( the font isn't even the same!!!!!). The break is typical of "M" letter punches and is not that uncommon( although interesting to find).   As if an 18th-century letter punch( made with low-grade steel), could last from 1763 to 1814( the usual life expectancy is 5 years. I am absolutely gobsmacked!!!