Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coin

Buy the Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coin

Inspired by the world-wide famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra located at Vienna’s Musikverein, the iconic Silver Philharmonic coins are the official silver bullion coins of Austria (Austrian Philharmonic Silver) and have been produced since 2008. These one troy pure silver ounce coins are legal tender in the country of their origin and carry a face value of €1.50.

The world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic, founded in 1842, recruits its musicians from the Vienna State Opera and is a must-see for any music lover who visits Europe.

The Austrian Philharmonic Silver coins are among the most popular one-ounce silver coins in Europe and are accompanied by the gold and platinum coins. The gold version was introduced in 1989, while the platinum coin was first struck in 2016. Check out all our silver coins for sale today!

Early History of the Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coin

The Philharmonic series began in 1989 with the gold Philharmonic coins. From 1989 to 2001 the coins had their face value in Austrian Schillings. In 2002 Austria switched to the euro and the Philharmonic coins have since been struck with the face value expressed in euros.

The gold coins are available in several sizes, from 1-oz to the unique 1/25-oz silver. The 1/2-oz, 1/4-oz and 1/10-oz sizes round out the gold offerings. Larger coins were made throughout the history of the series, though reserved for limited and commemorative editions.

The Big Phil is the most famous of the special edition coins. It was introduced in 2004 for the 15th anniversary of the series. It is a 1,000-ounce variant of the original gold coin and has a face value of €100,000. The giant coin weighs 31.103 kg and measures 37 cm in diameter with a thickness of 2 cm. At the time of issuance, the 1,000-oz coin was one of the biggest gold coins in the world and had the highest face value ever. However, it was surpassed in 2007 by a 100 kg Canadian Gold Maple Leaf which had a face value of CAD $1,000,000.

Introduction of the Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coins

Four years after the introduction of the Big Phil, the Austrian Mint introduced the first silver Philharmonic coin on February 1, 2008. Unlike their gold counterparts and like the United States Silver Eagle, the Silver Philharmonic is only made available in a 1-ounce size. In the initial year, the Austrian Mint struck around 7,773,000 units. (Austrian Philharmonic Silver)

The €1.50 face value Silver Philharmonic contains one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver (.999). Since its inception, the size has been fixed at 37 mm diameter and 3.2 mm thickness. The edges are smooth and the coin weighs exactly 31.103 grams.

The Austrian Philharmonic Silver coin has gone on to become one of the most famous and sought-after silver coins in the world due its beauty and unique craftsmanship.

Austrian Philharmonic Silver Recent Developments

Eight years after the introduction of the 1-ounce silver coin, the Austrian Mint introduced the first platinum Philharmonic coin. This relatively new offering contains one troy ounce with 99.95% (.9995) fineness and a face value of €100.

Austrian Philharmonic Silver Design

The design of Europe’s most popular one-ounce silver coin took after the Gold Philharmonic coin. Similar to the American Silver Eagle, but different from some other sovereign-mint coins (such as the Chinese Gold/Silver Pandas), the design of the coin has remained largely the same throughout the years.

Created by Thomas Pesendorfer in 1989, the obverse side of the Silver Philharmonic features the pipe organ in the Musikverein, the home of the Vienna Philharmonic. The inscription “REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH” (“Republic of Austria”) and the coin’s face value denomination surround the pipe organ. The words “1 UNZE FEINSILBER” (“One Ounce of Fine Silver”) are also inscribed on the front of the coin, as well as the year of issuance.

On the reverse side, the coin features a cello in the center, flanked by a pair of violins on each side and various other instruments in the background, including a harp, flute, French horn, and bassoon. The inscriptions “WIENER PHILHARMONIKER” (“Vienna Philharmonic”) and “SILBER” (“Silver”) surround the instruments.

Austrian Silver Philharmonic Mintage

In the first five years (2008-2012), over 54 million units of the Austrian Silver Philharmonic were sold. The production peaked in 2011 at a mintage of just under 18 million coins. Other notable mintage years include 2013 (14.5 million) and 2010 (11.3 million). Sales figures from 2014 through 2018 were all under 10 million, dropping to under 5 million a couple of times during that period.

Gilded and Colorized Versions of the Austrian Silver Philharmonic

Since the Austrian Philharmonic Silver coin is not available in proof and uncirculated versions, the Austrian Mint issues two special variants of the 1-ounce bullion coin – gilded and colorized.

The gilded coin sports a layer of 24-karat gold on the reverse and obverse sides. Only key elements of the design are coated in gold. The coating does not contain enough gold to change the actual value of the coin, though it does add to its uniqueness, beauty and collector’s value.

The colorized variant adds muted colors to the instruments on the reverse side. The violins and the cello have wooden colors.

Investing in Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coins

Austrian Philharmonic Silver coins have been among the most popular 1-ounce silver coins in the world ever since their introduction. Like other bullion products, the Philharmonic offers a great value proposition for investors who wish to accumulate low premium products to maximize their investment dollars and get more ounces for the money compared to collectible or rare coins that carry high mark-ups above the intrinsic silver value. The Philharmonic is a low-priced alternative to the Silver American Eagle, whose premium is often 50 cents higher.

Conclusion

The Austrian Philharmonic Silver coins are made in honor of Austria’s national philharmonic orchestra and have risen to prominence throughout the world since the first coins were struck in 2008.

With sales figures of nearly 100 million, the “Silver Phil” has become one of the most popular 1-ounce silver coins in the world. These coins would make a fantastic addition to any bullion stash, whether you are a collector at heart looking for uniqueness and beauty, or if you are a silver stacker seeking to get the most ounces for the money.