Various articles claim that the Maria Theresia Taler was re-struck with an unchanged appearance since 1780. However, this is only really true for restrikes made after about 1850. Earlier strikes are typically relatively easy to identify. Unfortunately, the statement may cause collectors - and sometimes dealers - to believe that their coins might be original coins struck in 1780 or shortly thereafter. Sometimes such coins will actually be sold as "original strike".

This statement is incorrect, even if considering strikes dated earlier than 1858 (i.e., while the Taler was an official currency) to be originals. Most of the so called "originals" have in reality been struck after 1858.

Below you will find two coins struck in 1780 (Vienna mint), a coin struck around 1781 (Guenzburg mint), and a current restrike. This may help to identify basic differences between earlier strikes and more recent restrikes.

Strike	Obverse	Revers
Vienna Mint, 1780 Hafner 6 First (older) Variant Approximately 7-9 specimen known worldwide.
Vienna Mint, 1780 Hafner 7a Second (newer) Variant Approximately 5 specimen known worldwide.
Guenzburg Mint, around 1781 Hafner 27b Only a single specimen known worldwide. Assumption for the 1780 Guenzburg strike is that the letter A should be pointed instead of flat as in this specimen. Signature may be S.F. or S:F:.
Modern Restrike Struck more than 300.000.000 times worldwide.

Key identification characteristics for the 1780 strikes are in particular the form of the brooche in the veil on the obverse (no pearls, except for the later Vienna mint strike), the form of the letter 'U' in the reverse (AUST.DUX instead of AVST.DUX), the form of the cross next to the the year on the obverse, and the form of the ' 7 ' in the year. Older Vienna mint strikes (earlier than 1850) are signed I.C.-F.A. instead of S.F.