Austrian Silver

The Austrian Silver Philharmonics

Arguably Europe’s most popular silver bullion coins, and one of the best-sellers in the world, the Austrian Silver Philharmonic is part of a robust series of bullion coins from the Austrian Mint. The official bullion coins of the nation, the Austrian Philharmonic series includes three precious metal options and comes with unique variations in the silver bullion issue each year. Now’s your chance to learn more about these beautiful coins.

Background of the Austrian Philharmonic Bullion Coins

The Austrian Silver Philharmonic coin debuted in 2008 as the second option in the long-running Austrian Philharmonic collection. The Gold Philharmonic is the lead coin in the series and was the original offering when the collection debuted in 1989. Chief Engraver of the Austrian Mint, Thomas Pesendorfer, developed the designs used on both the obverse and reverse of the Austrian Philharmonic coins in 1989. The same designs are not only used on the obverse and reverse each year, but also across the Silver Philharmonic and Platinum Philharmonic coins as well.

While the Gold Philharmonic features a 1 oz coin and various fractional-weight options, the Silver Philharmonic is like many other major silver bullion coins on the market. You’ll only find the Austrian Silver Philharmonic available in 1 oz silver.

Design of the Austrian Silver Philharmonic

Mr. Pesendorfer used the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra as the inspiration for the design elements found on both the obverse and reverse sides of the coins in this collection. The obverse side of all Austrian Silver Philharmonic coins includes the image of the pipe organ located within the Musikverein. Also known as the Golden Concert Hall, this is the home theater for the Vienna Philharmonic when it performs and it is located in the Innere Stadt borough of Vienna, the national capital of Austria.

On the reverse of the coins is the image of various musical instruments used by members of the Vienna Philharmonic. Included in the design is a cello in the center, which is flanked on either side by two violins (totaling 4 in all). Behind it are images of the harp, flute, bassoon, and French horn.

Both sides of the coin have engravings in German, which is the official language of the nation of Austria. These engravings read “Wiener Philharmoniker” on the reverse, which translates easily as “Vienne Philharmonic.” On the obverse are engravings of “Republik Osterreich” and “1 Unze Feinsilber.” These translate as “Republic of Austria” and “1 Ounce Fine Silver.” The coin’s year of issue and face value in Euros (€1.50) are also found on this side. All Austrian Silver Philharmonic coins contain 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver.

Mintage and Availability of Silver Philharmonics

The Austrian Mint does not always publish annual mintage figures for its Austrian Silver Philharmonic program, but many of the available years do have mintage figures available for investors to look back on. The coins were met with immediate popularity when released in 2008, with the following mintage figures for each year from 2008 to 2016:

• 2008 – 7.773 million
• 2009 – 9.014 million
• 2010 – 11.358 million
• 2012 – 8.769 million
• 2013 – 14.53 million
• 2014 – 4.643 million
• 2015 – 7.29 million
• 2016 – 3.44 million
• 2017 – 2.064 million
• 2018 – 2.101 million
• 2019 – 2.904 million
• 2020 – 7.193 million

The Silver Philharmonic coins are the highest minted and most well-known silver bullion coins on the European continent. During the five-year span of 2008 to 2012, the Austrian Silver Philharmonic sold a total of 54 million coins.

Packaging for the Austrian Silver Philharmonic

When originally released from the Austrian Mint, the Silver Philharmonics are available inside of individual protective plastic or two different bulk options. Multiples of 25 coins are housed inside of tubes, while multiples of 500 coins come in Monster Boxes with a total of 25 tubes. Special-issue versions of the Austrian Silver Philharmonic, such as gilded and colorized coins, are available inside of individual display boxes.

Variations on the Silver Philharmonic

The Austrian Silver Philharmonic coin is one of the many popular silver bullion coins also available with distinct variations meant to attract collectors to the series as well. Since the Silver Philharmonic lacks an annual proof release, bullion coins are often modified with distinct features to generate collectible interest in the coins as well. The two most common forms are:

• Gilded: The Gilded Silver Philharmonic coin features a thin layer of 24-karat gold on the primary design elements of the obverse and reverse sides. This includes the instruments on the reverse and the pipe organ on the obverse. There is not enough gold content to alter the value of the coins, but the addition of a second metal creates visual contrast and generates collector interest.
• Colorized: The Colorized Silver Philharmonic delivers muted tones to the musical instruments on the reverse. The cello and violins, for example, have natural wooden tones added to reflect the real-life appearance of these musical instruments.

The inspiration for the Austrian Silver Philharmonic

Chief Engraver Thomas Pesendorfer used the cultural icon of Austria that is the Vienna Philharmonic as the inspiration for the design of the nation’s official bullion coin series. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna and its members are chosen from the Vienna State Opera to perform in the orchestra. The selection process is a lengthy one and requires demonstration of musical capabilities over a minimum of three years’ performance with the opera and ballet. Though the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was formally founded in 1842, operatic performances were taking place in Vienna on a random basis as early as the first years of the 1830s.

Other Austrian Silver

While the Austrian Silver Philharmonic is the most visible and popular bullion coin from the Austrian Mint, it is not the only option available to investors and collectors looking to buy from one of the world’s oldest operating mints. For example, the Austrian Mint released a 3-coin 825^th-anniversary series in 2019 with popular images of cultural figures and places from the Middle Ages when the Austrian Mint was founded.

The 825^th-anniversary series celebrates the 1194 founding of the Austrian Mint using 15 tonnes of silver paid to Duke Leopold V by King Richard I of England as a ransom for his safe passage through Austria on the way back to England from the Third Crusades. The series featured designs such as:

• Duke Leopold V: Founder of the Austrian Mint and ruler of Austria during the Third Crusades, Leopold V is depicted in the reverse field of the first coin design in his battle armor. Leopold V was allied with Richard I of England and other Western Christian nations during the Third Crusades. A rift between the allies emerged when Leopold V’s forces were late arriving for the Battle of Acre and were subsequently denied the spoils of war, primarily by Richard I of England.
• Wiener Neustadt: The second coin in the collection, the Wiener Neustadt was a castle constructed in the same year as the Austrian Mint using funds from the 15 tonnes of silver paid by King Richard I of England. The castle was formally known as the Burg Winer Neustadt and was built in southeastern Austria to protect the region from the Kingdom of Hungary. It famously pushed back the Mongol hordes during an invasion attempt in 1241.
• Robin Hood: In the final design of the series, the figure of Robin Hood features on the reverse. The skilled bowman is a mythical figure said to have served alongside Richard I of England during the Third Crusades, and then returning to England to find his lands stolen from him. From here, it is said he embarked on a crusade of his own to fight back against the usurper of England’s crown, Prince John, brother of Richard I.

The obverse of all these coins shared a common design. On this side, there is an artistic depiction of an Austrian knight wearing battle armor of the era of the Third Crusade. The knight is featured on horseback with a shield bearing an eagle in his left hand and a banner in his right.

Buying Silver Philharmonics from JM Bullion

If you are interested in buying silver from the Austrian Silver Philharmonic collection, JM Bullion has you covered. Feel free to reach out to our customer service team at 800-276-6508, or connect with us online using our live chat and email address options.