History of the Austrian Mint
According to tradition, the Austrian mint dates back to 1194, when Duke Leopold V received a large silver ransom for Richard the Lionheart and had coins struck from it. Over the following centuries minting methods changed, and around 1700 a press that was modern for its time came into use. It raised output and improved the quality of the coins.
Austria also had other mints in that period, for example in Salzburg, Innsbruck and Villach. After the Republic of Austria was founded in 1918, the Vienna mint became the only official state mint, a status it still holds. In 1989 it was restructured as Münze Österreich AG (Austrian Mint), a subsidiary of the Austrian National Bank.
The Austrian Mint today
Until the euro arrived in 2002, the mint struck Austrian schillings. Since then it has produced Austrian euro coins in all denominations. Circulating coins are not its only product. In 1989 Münze Österreich launched the gold Vienna Philharmonic, which is still one of the most popular bullion coins in the world.
The Vienna Philharmonic gold coin comes in these sizes:
The Austrian Mint also issues official restrikes of historic gold coins:
Investors can also buy gold bars, and collectors can choose from special commemorative series, for example for the New Year or for the birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
