20 Euros 175 Jahre Wiener Philharmoniker

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1842 by Otto Nicolai, who convinced the musicians of the Court Opera to give independent subscription concerts — a radical proposition at the time. The silver coin series commemorating the orchestra launched in 2008 as a companion to the bullion gold Philharmoniker series, though the two share little beyond subject matter: the silver issues are collector pieces struck to proof standard, with annual mintage caps that have kept secondary market premiums relatively firm.

The 175th anniversary fell under the directorship of Franz Welser-Möst, the orchestra's chief conductor since 2010.