Germany Hesse Darmstadt 2 and 5 Mark 1875 to 1891

There were four Hesse states in the old German Federation. Only Hesse-Darmstadt issued coinage after the empire congealed in 1871. The coins on this page are those of Kings Ludwig III and Ludwig IV, with virtually indentical designs except, of course, for the kings' profiles. Coins of King Ernst are not covered here.

We present some typical catalog values in the listings below. As always on CoinQuest, you must apply the concepts outlined on our Important Terminology page to convert these (inflated) catalog values to actual buy and sell values.

You will note in the tables below that well preserved coins are worth *much* more than worn coins. This is because very few specimens have survived in excellent condition. Any collector or dealer will carefully scrutinize any coin before paying high premiums based on condition alone. For instance, to meet 'uncirculated' prices, a coin cannot have even the faintest indication of wear.

NEVER CLEAN A COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.

2 (ZWEI) MARK LUDWIG III (0.322 troy ounces silver):
worn: $150 US dollars approximate catalog value
averge circulated: $350
well preserved: $2000
fully uncirculated: $5000

2 (ZWEI) MARK LUDWIG IV (0.322 troy ounces silver):
worn: $450 US dollars approximate catalog value
averge circulated: $1800
well preserved: $3500
fully uncirculated: $6500
Ludwig IV 2 mark coins dated 1891 are worth about one-half of the values above

5 (FUNF) MARK LUDWIG III (0.804 troy ounces silver):
worn: $90 US dollars approximate catalog value
averge circulated: $180
well preserved: $2500
fully uncirculated: $7000

5 (FUNF) MARK LUDWIG IV (0.804 troy ounces silver):
worn: $500 US dollars approximate catalog value
averge circulated: $1800
well preserved: $3500
fully uncirculated: $8500
Ludwig IV 5 mark coins dated 1891 are worth about one-half of the values above

CoinQuest thanks U. Helmig of Osnabrück, Germany for use of their coin photos.
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