1 oz Austrian Philharmonic gold coin previous years

History

The Austrian Mint is responsible for the production of the coins. The Austrian Gold Philharmonic coins that were issued from 1989 to 2001 are denominated in Austrian Shillings. When Austria switched to the new Euro currency at the beginning of 2000 it automatically meant that the face value of legal tender Gold Philharmonics would have to change as well. From 2002 onwards, all Gold Philharmonic coins have a face value denominated in Euros.

The Gold Philharmonic coin immortalises classical music in pure gold

The Austrian Gold Philharmonic coin was introduced for the first time in 1989 and would be Austria’s first legal tender coin to contain 99.99% pure gold. The Gold Philharmonic was very well received by the investment public that cherished the coin’s high gold purity, the craftsmanship that went into it, and also the fact that it was the first legal tender gold coin to be embellished with cultural symbols that most people could relate to: music. The decision to use music as a theme for the Gold Philharmonic coin made perfect sense since it represents the essence of Austria’s cultural achievements over the centuries. Many world famous musicians and composers, such as Mozart, Strauss, and Beethoven to name a few, have contributed to making Austria, and specifically its capital Vienna, famous for its operas and symphonies. Their work in classical and romantic music is immortalised in the Gold Philharmonic coin, making it a must for investors who have an affinity for the precious sound of pure gold. 

Gold Philharmonics and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

The Gold Philharmonic coin is named after the world renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra was founded in 1842 by a group of people in response to Vienna’s lack of professional orchestral organizations in the early 19th century. An administrative committee democratically elected by its musician members managed the orchestra as an independent body. The professional musicians who made up the ensemble were chosen exclusively from the Vienna State Opera where they had to have been playing for at least three years before even being considered as a potential member. To this date, the stringent recruiting process has not changed, which ensures the very highest level of artistic performance from every member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is today most famous for its traditional New Year’s concerts where nostalgic music from great composers is performed. These concerts have grown to become so popular that they are televised to over 90 countries, sending a message of joy for the New Year through the gracious and delightful character of music.

The Austrian Mint, a subsidiary of Austria’s Central Bank, is a world renowned mint which dates back to the 12th century. The story of the Austrian Mint begins in 1194, when Richard the Lionheart paid 12 tonnes of silver to secure his freedom from imprisonment by the Austrian Duke Leopold V. The Duke would later use the silver to strike silver coins, thus laying the foundation for the Austrian Mint. In its rich and long history, the Austrian Mint has produced many of Europe’s most famous and widely used coins, including gold crowns, guilders, ducats and silver coins such as the Maria Theresa thaler. Many of the gold coins issued by the Austrian Mint were extensively used in trade during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, while the silver thaler proved to be one of the most minted and widely used silver coins in global commerce between 1750 and the 1950s.  Today, the  mint  is  best recognised  for producing  Europe’s  most  desired  investment bullion coins, the Gold and Silver Philharmonic bullion coins.