Austrian euro coins have a unique design for each denomination, with a common theme for each of the three series of coins. The minor coins feature Austrian
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s, the middle coins examples of
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
from
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
's capital,
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, and the two major coins famous Austrians. All designs are by the hand of Josef Kaiser and also include the
12 stars of the EU,
Flag of Austria
The flag of Austria ( de-AT, Flagge Österreichs) is the flag of the nation of Austria. It consists of three bands of colour in the following order: red, white, and red.
The Austrian flag is considered one of the oldest national symbols stil ...
and the year of imprint.
Austrian euro design
Prior to 2008, the old common side showing national borders was used, but from the 2008 coins use the new common side without borders. For
images of the common side and a detailed description of the coins, see
euro coins
There are eight euro coin denominations, ranging from one cent to two euros (the euro is divided into a hundred cents). The coins first came into use in 2002. They have a common reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each country in the eurozone ...
. Austria is the only country which uses the Latin alphabet and yet, repeats the denomination on the national side of the coins, thus not adhering to the rule.
From 2017 (5 cent coins) and 2018 (2 and 1 cent coins) onwards, the design of the national side has been slightly altered, decreasing the thickness and increasing the number of stripes representing the red fields of the Austrian flag.
Circulating Mintage quantities
The following table shows the mintage quantity for all Austrian euro coins, per denomination, per year.
Austrian proof set
Each year the
Austrian Mint
The Austrian Mint (german: Münze Österreich) is located in Vienna and is responsible for minting Austrian coins. Since 1989 it has been a public limited company (''Aktiengesellschaft'') and a subsidiary of Austria's central bank Oesterreichische ...
issues a limited edition of its Euro coins in proof quality.
File:Austria BE set.JPG, How the set looks. (2005)
€2 commemorative coins
File:Blank.jpg, 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
The Treaty of Rome, or EEC Treaty (officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community), brought about the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the best known of the European Communities (EC). The treaty was sig ...
(2007)
File:2 euro österreich 10 jahre euro.jpg, Ten years of the Economic and Monetary Union
An economic and monetary union (EMU) is a type of trade bloc that features a combination of a common market, customs union, and monetary union. Established via a trade pact, an EMU constitutes the sixth of seven stages in the process of economic ...
(EMU) and the birth of the euro (2009)
File:Blank.jpg, 10th anniversary of the issuance of Euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
coins
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to ...
and banknotes
A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable instrument, negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand.
Banknotes w ...
(2012)
File:2€-100-Jahre-Republik Österreich-2018.png, 100 years since the foundation of the First Austrian Republic
The First Austrian Republic (german: Erste Österreichische Republik), officially the Republic of Austria, was created after the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 10 September 1919—the settlement after the end of World War I w ...
(2018)
Other commemorative coins (Collector's coins)
Austria has a large collection of euro commemorative coins, mainly in
Silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
and
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
, but they also use other materials (like
Niobium
Niobium is a chemical element with chemical symbol Nb (formerly columbium, Cb) and atomic number 41. It is a light grey, crystalline, and ductile transition metal. Pure niobium has a Mohs hardness rating similar to pure titanium, and it has sim ...
for example). Their face value range from 5 euro to 100 euro. This is mainly done as a legacy of old national practice of minting
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
and
Silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
coins. These coins are not really intended to be used as means of payment, so generally they do not circulate. Here are some samples:
File:2006 Austria 50 Euro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart front.jpg, Gold, 50 euro, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2006)
File:2006 Austria 25 Euro European Satellite Navigation front.jpg, Silver and Niobium, 25 euro, European Satellite Navigation (2006)
File:2006 Austria 20 Euro The Austrian Merchant Navy back.jpg, Silver, 20 euro, The Austrian Merchant Navy (2006)
References
External links
European Central Bank – AustriaOesterreichische National Bank (Austrian Central Bank)The Austrian Mint
Austrian euro coins and commemorative 2€ coins
{{Euro topics
Euro coins by issuing country
Euro coins
There are eight euro coin denominations, ranging from one cent to two euros (the euro is divided into a hundred cents). The coins first came into use in 2002. They have a common reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each country in the eurozone ...
Euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...