Catalog
15 ECU - Austria's accession to the EU
| Issuer | Austria |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
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| Composition | Silver (.925) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central multilingual inscription 'EU EUROPÄISCHE UNION BEITRITT 1.1.1995' occupying the inner field, surrounded by a ring of twelve five-pointed stars symbolic of the European Union. An outer decorative band features various European Community landmarks and symbols arranged in a continuous ring, framing the entire composition. |
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| Additional information |
Austria joined the European Union on January 1, 1995, alongside Finland and Sweden — the largest single enlargement since the original founding. The ECU itself was never a circulating currency but a basket unit used in European financial mechanisms; these silver issues were struck for the collector market under agreements that allowed member and candidate states to produce ECU-denominated pieces throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Austria's timing meant this was one of the final ECU collector issues before the unit was superseded by the euro at a fixed 1:1 rate in 1999.