The Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin
What could be better than a beautiful evening under clear blue skies listening to the sounds of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra? The next best thing of course – a collection of Vienna Philharmonic gold coins.
When they invented the phrase “Kings Ransom”, they may have been referring to the origins of the Austrian Mint. The Austrian Mint`s origins go way – way back to the days of the crusades, when Richard the Lionheart bought his freedom with 15 tonnes of silver after being captured in Austria while passing through. Over time, gold and silver coins minted in Austria gained tremendous popularity throughout Europe. Today, the Austrian Mint produces some of the finest gold, silver and platinum coins known to mankind.
The Vienna Philharmonic Gold coin was first available to bullion investors in 1989. Since that time the World Gold Council has proclaimed it the world’s top selling gold bullion coin several times over. The coins were at first denominated in schillings with a face value of 2000 schillings. In 2002 with the formation of euro currency the coin was denominated in euros, with the 1 oz gold Philharmonic carrying a 100 euros face value. Officially the Vienna Philharmonic is only considered legal tender in Austria.
The remarkable design is an homage to one of Austria’s national treasures, The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in 1842. To this day the orchestra is considered the finest in the world.
Obverse: The pipe organ from the Golden Hall where the orchestra plays is brilliantly displayed. The German words for Republic of Austria (REPUBLIK OSTERREICH) is also present, along with the year, purity and weight.
Reverse: On the reverse you will find a variety of some of the instruments used by the orchestra including a harp, cello, bassoon, violins, and the Vienna horn. The German words for Vienna Philharmonic (WIENER PHILHARMONIKER) is inscribed on the reverse.
Better known as the Austrian Gold Philharmonic, the coin is offered in one-tenth, one-quarter, one-half, and one ounce size. And to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the mint, one-twenty fifth oz size.
