By Austrian Mint ……
A Christmas tree adorned with the 2018 Vienna Philharmonic, the golden hallmark of the Austrian Mint, caused a sensation in Ginza in Tokyo. This year, we are also bringing it to Munich.
The renowned precious metals dealer Pro Aurum, in cooperation with the Austrian Mint AG, is showing the gold tree, which consists of this year’s Vienna Philharmonic coins. The nearly three-meter-high tree is not for sale and has a value of currently almost 2.3 million euros – depending on the respective gold price [About $2.67 million USD. —CoinWeek].
On an acrylic pyramid, each one-ounce 2018 Gold Philharmonic was positioned by hand, with a 20-ounce gold Philharmonic in a star cladding the top of the Christmas tree. The entire structure, consisting of almost 63 kilograms of pure gold, stands on a platform reminiscent of the design of the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein. The Vienna Philharmonic in Gold is one of the most popular and best-selling bullion coins in the world. The obverse of the coin shows the organ in the Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein and the reverse shows various musical instruments.
“Gold has many features that set it apart from other asset classes. Above all, it is not freely reproducible. Gold is money in another form. The gold Christmas tree symbolizes the value of gold extremely well,” says Mirko Schmidt, the founder of Pro Aurum.
“With the Vienna Philharmonic, you hold real assets of the highest quality in your hands,” said General Manager Mag. Gerhard Starsich. “The reliably high quality of these products is responsible for the fact that Münze Österreich AG has established itself as one of the most sought-after suppliers in the world. Our Vienna Philharmonic is more than just gold.”
The Vienna Philharmonic
The history of the Vienna Philharmonic began in November 1988, when an amendment to the law made it possible to issue coins of pure gold at the current rate plus a small premium. Designed for investors around the world, the new gold coin should be typically Austrian. What could be more natural than choosing music and one of the best orchestras in the world as the name and motivator? The idea of the Vienna Philharmonic was born.
The coin, which was designed by the former Chief Engraver of the Austrian Mint, Thomas Pesendorfer, has also won several awards for his artistic design. The artist placed the organ from the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein on the value side. In honor of the world-famous orchestra of the Vienna Philharmonic, important instruments found their way to the second side of the coin, including viola, violin, cello, Viennese horn, bassoon and harp.
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About the Austrian Mint
With over 800 years of history, the Austrian Mint (Münze Österreich AG), headquartered in Vienna, is today one of the world’s most dynamic and successful minting mills. Its business model is based on three product families: circulation coins and round blanks (unembossed coins); investment coins made of gold, platinum and silver; and gold bars, collectors’ coins and medals made of precious metals. Their recipe for success: the reliably high-quality of their products, the highest craftsmanship and ongoing investment in product innovations – as well as the most modern machinery in the world. As a subsidiary of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, the Austrian Mint generates annual profits for the Republic of Austria.
