Expert: Brad Swain - 12/31/2009

Question
I have a silver German funf mark 1875 with "Ludwig ll  Koenig V. Bayern" around the bust with a D below the bust.  It also has "Gott Mit Uns" on the rim. It is in fairly good shape as I have had it in a box for 50 years. I'm curious as to the value.  I saw your answer on an 1875 Ludwig lll, but I know there is a lot of difference between mintage in the various German states.  I can't find it in the catalogs I've checked, so I hope you can help ...and many thanks.  

Answer
Hi Perry, There were 657,000 of these Bavaria 5 Mark coins minted in Munich (D) that year featuring King Ludwig II (1864-86). This coin should weigh 27.777 grams and would contain .8038 of an ounce of silver. The edge translates to 'God with us'.
Collector value may be worth about $20 with heavy wear to around $65 with moderate wear to maybe $275 with light wear.
You might try Ebay.com for similar pieces for comparison.
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
Brad