Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin
Austrian Gold Philharmonic Coins have been a popular investment tool for decades.
Vienna is known for a few different things. For one thing, the city was home to Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalytic psychology. It’s often known as the “City of Dreams” for this reason. But the historic city’s legacy is primarily known for its intense musical culture. For hundreds of years, Vienna has remained a destination for some of the world’s most distinguished musicians. Even Mozart, Beethoven, and Johann Strauss II called Vienna their home, composing some of their best music within its borders.
The city is now home to the historic Musikverein, a world-renowned music hall that has played host to some of the most brilliant orchestra performances in modern history. While Vienna may be known for several different things, it’s ultimately the city’s musical history that has helped to make it a premier destination for the artists and dreamers of the world.
The Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin pays homage to Vienna’s intense history and culture of music. In today’s blog post, we’re walking you through everything you need to know about investing in these popular bullion coins.
History of the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin
As always, we’ll start with a bit of history. Vienna wasn’t always the “City of Music.” Historians believe that the musical reputation of Vienna really began in the years between the 1850s and 1950s. This period is referred to as the “Viennese Classical Period.” Austrian leaders took advantage of the influx of young and talented new musicians hoping to make their legacy in Vienna, and this led directly to the city’s longstanding legacy as a musical capital of the world.
The Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin was designed and released in 1989. The vision of the Austrian Mint couldn’t be clearer. Their goal was to commemorate the city’s musical culture and legacy with a beautiful gold bullion coin. Our opinion? They succeeded. Since its release, the Vienna Philharmonic has become one of the most popular and coveted gold coins on the planet.
Origins and Evolution
Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins were not just minted to commemorate the city’s history of composers and music. In the 1980s, South Africa’s Gold Krugerrand had fallen from international graces. The government’s Apartheid government led to the coin being the subject of an embargo from several major countries, including the United States. The global ban on the Krugerrand tanked its sales, which left a hole in the international gold coin market.
Remember: the Gold Krugerrand was an unprecedented success. For a period of time, the South African gold bullion coin made up an incredible 90% of the global coin market. The embargoes levied on the South African Gold Krugerrand meant that some other coin needed to step up to meet the demand of coin collectors around the world. The Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin was first minted in order to capitalize on this unfilled market hole.
Remarkably, the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin hasn’t changed much in the forty years of its continuous mintage. It still features the same, classic reverse and obverse designs that helped to make it a popular gold coin in the first place.
Collectible Editions
There is one major collectible edition of the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin. Referred to as “Big Phil,” it’s the largest gold coin ever minted at the Austrian Mint. Minted with 1,0000 troy ounces of .9999 fine gold bullion, the coin features the same familiar designs of the original Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin – but in a much larger package.
On the 20th anniversary of our Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins, Austrian Mint experts also introduced a brand new 20 oz gold coin in the series. The massive coin came with a face value of 14,000 Euros.
Numismatic Impact
The release of the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin was immediately impactful on the global numismatic scene. In addition to its high gold fineness and exceptional design, its obverse and reverse artworks invoke an important aspect of Austrian culture and Vienna’s history. Even today, the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin has become a foundational piece in the gold market. Stackers everywhere love this European coin and its musically significant designs.
Legacy and Influence
We anticipate that the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin will continue its run as one of the world’s most popular coins. It’s certainly the best-selling piece to ever come from the Austrian Mint. Even the abnormally large 20 oz Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin was met with immediate success among collectors, who quickly gobbled up the 6,027 pieces minted for global distribution.
Designs
The designs are part of what makes the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin so popular. Each side of the coin features an image meant to invoke the beauty and cultural heritage of Vienna. We’ll take a closer look at these designs below.
Obverse and Reverse
On the front of the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin, you’ll find what might be Austria’s most enduring cultural icon: the Musikverein Pipe Organ. The music house’s full name is Wiener Musikverein, which is German for “Viennese Music Association.” Some of the most important musical figures in history have conducted or performed at the Musikverein, and its massive pipe organ is one of its most defining features.
The musical hall’s large instrument appears in full glory on the obverse of each Austrian Philharmonic Gold Coin. Rendered in an exceptional level of detail that we’ll discuss in a couple of subsections, this side of the coin puts the Musikverein Pipe Organ’s size and beauty on full display.
On the other side of the coin, you’ll find eight orchestra instruments: the cello, four violins, a harp, a bassoon, and a Vienna horn. This unique reverse is part of what makes the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin so special. We don’t often see coins that depict musical instruments – and we almost never witness these instruments in such stunning detail.
Musical Symbolism
Both sides of the coin emphasize musical culture and history, which is closely related to the cultural identity of Vienna. Fans of music should rejoice in the level of beauty and intricacy that characterizes each Austrian Philharmonic Gold Coin. Coins from government mints typically use bullion coins to emphasize important cultural elements from their countries. And the Austrian Mint hits it out of the park with their most famous gold coin.
Aesthetic Excellence
Even without considering the cultural importance of the designs on our Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins, it’s important to note the level of detail etched into gold by the experts of the Austrian Mint. This aesthetic excellence is built into most of the coins coming out of the renowned Austrian Mint.
Value and Investment
Like every other gold bullion coin we sell, the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin’s value depends primarily on a few key market factors. Below, we’ll discuss gold content, investment advantages, performance and trends, authenticity and grading, and expert opinions. By tracking the general gold market, you can get the most out of your investment.
Gold Content and Demand
The gold content of the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin is highly competitive. These coins all contain .9999 fine gold bullion, making them some of the purest gold coins on the market. Demand for gold bullion also influences the current spot price of gold and can drive up prices for the Austrian Philharmonic Gold Coin.
If you plan on investing in quality Vienna Philharmonics with Hero Bullion, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the spot price of gold, as well as general demand for numismatic coins like this popular Austrian series.
Investment Advantages
Why are Philharmonic Gold Coins popular? There are several notable advantages to investing in Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins. To start, these coins are minted using an exceptionally high gold fineness. Additionally, their recognizability means that they’ll likely be easy to sell when you’re ready to cash-in on your gold bullion stack.
For decades, the Philharmonic has been one of the world’s most popular coins. And it’s difficult to imagine a world where this coin didn’t dominate Austrian coin sales. The piece was initially minted to fill a vacuum left after embargoes leveled sales for the ever-dominant South African Gold Krugerrand. But the coin has maintained its popularity for several decades, and we don’t anticipate that demand will decline any time soon.
Performance and Trends
Premium costs for old Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins tend to increase consistently as time goes on. Coins from low mintage years, including the exceedingly rare 20 oz Gold Philharmonic, might sell for an extreme premium over their melt values in gold.
Authentication and Grading
Making sure your coin is authentic should always be one of your top investment priorities. Every year, consumers lose millions of dollars to fake bullion coins. While the Vienna Philharmonic is hardly the biggest counterfeit target on the planet, it’s still possible to get tricked into buying a fake Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin. Make sure that you buy from reputable distributors if you plan on investing in the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin.
Expert Opinions
Expert advice is a good way to keep your investment safe and secure. During every step of the investment process, Hero Bullion is here to help you invest with confidence. Reviewing expert coin grading guides is a good way to adequately evaluate the cost of your Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins. We also recommend checking back at the Bullion Academy frequently for more up-to-date investment advice from our experts.
Collecting and Care
Your investment isn’t over once you have quality gold bullion coins in your hands. In fact, some investors lose thousands of dollars by failing to properly store, maintain, and secure their gold bullion coins. We don’t want you to fall victim to some of the most common investing mistakes, so we’ve included a few tips and tricks to help you make the most out of your new Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins.
Collecting Tips
The last thing any investor wants is to lose money because they fail to properly store, maintain, or certify their gold bullion investments. There are three things that every investor should keep in mind when starting a gold coin collection: storage and protection, cleaning and maintenance, and authenticity verification. We’ll dive into all of these core investment tips in the next few sections.
Storage and Protection
We talk a lot about proper coin storage and protection and our guides – and with good reason. Especially when you start collecting expensive gold bullion coins, it’s extremely important to make sure your coins are kept in excellent condition. Some bullion products, like copper rounds or junk silver, don’t really necessitate expensive safes and coin holders. But your expensive gold coins most definitely do.
It’s generally recommended that collectors invest in a temperature-controlled safe to store their gold coins securely. You also need to consider whether or not your collection is covered under your basic homeowners insurance plan. Some insurance plans only cover a certain amount of gold bullion, so it’s important to evaluate your own coverage before investing in thousands of dollars of gold bullion.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Handling your coins properly while cleaning is an important part of investing. Always handle your coins using cotton gloves to avoid damaging them. Transferring your coins can be a hassle, but the value of your investment can quickly decline if your actions result in a decrease in their overall quality and grade. Reading up on how to safely transfer coins from one location to another is a good idea for investors who are new to buying gold coins.
Certification Importance
Like we mentioned earlier in this guide, it’s extremely important to vet your coins for legitimacy and authenticity before buying gold bullion coins. Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins are extremely valuable and globally recognized, but there are counterfeits out in the wild. Our recommendation is to look for some sort of certificate of authenticity for the coins you choose to buy.
Final Thoughts: Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin
How much do Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coins cost? The value of a Philharmonic Gold Coin can vary based on a number of factors, including the spot price of gold, current investor demand, and more. If you’re interested in buying gold Austrian coins for your growing bullion collection, please feel free to contact us for more information. Let us be your Bullion Hero!
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About The Author
Michael Roets
Michael Roets is a writer and journalist for Hero Bullion. His work explores precious metals news, guides, and commentary.