In 2004, the Austrian Mint celebrated the 15th year of its successful Vienna Philharmonic gold bullion coin program by producing 15 1,000-ounce versions of the popular Euro gold coin. The coin–nicknamed “Big Phil“–was presented to the public in grand style by Vice-Governor of the Austrian Central Bank, Wolfgang Duchatczek.
The coins were too big to be manufactured on standard coining presses, and were instead sculpted by computer and finished by hand. CoinWeek’s image of the obverse and reverse of the coin are derived from photographs provided by the Austrian Mint. The reflective line that appears in both images is from a custom-fitted lucite coin mount.
Design
Obverse:
Centered, the famed pipe organ from the Vienna Musikverein’s Golden Hall. Wrapping around the top of the coin is the inscription REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH. Beneath the organ is the coin’s weight, described as “1000 UNZEN GOLD 999.9” and the date, “2004”. Wrapping around the bottom of the coin is the denomination 100000 EURO.
Reverse:
An assortment of orchestral instruments: the French horn, the bassoon, a harp, four violins, and a cello. Wrapping around the top of the coin is the inscription WIENER PHILHARMONIKER.
Designer
Austrian Mint designer Thomas Pesendorfer’s coin designs continue to capture the spirit and culture of Austria. To learn more about him: View Designer’s Profile.
Coin Specifications
| Country: | Austria |
| Year Of Issue: | 2004 |
| Denomination: | 100,000 Euro |
| Mint Mark: | |
| Mintage: | 15 |
| Alloy: | .9999 Gold |
| Weight: | 28349.5 grams |
| Diameter: | 37 cm |
| OBV Designer | Thomas Pesendorfer |
| REV Designer | Thomas Pesendorfer |
| Quality: | Specimen |
Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins Currently Available on APMEX
