10 Schilling Copper-nickel

Austria's 10-Schilling piece ran for nearly three decades before the schilling was retired on January 1, 2002, when Austria joined the eurozone. The coin's longevity meant it accumulated an enormous cumulative mintage across those years, yet late-date pieces from the 1990s were struck in sharply reduced numbers as the end of the schilling was already anticipated — some annual issues from that final decade are genuinely scarce in uncirculated condition.

The copper-nickel plated nickel composition was a cost-reduction measure adopted in the early 1970s amid rising raw material prices globally. Earlier schilling coinage had used straight copper-nickel; the switch is subtle but detectable by weight distribution and surface tone on worn examples.