500 Schilling Congress of Vienna

The 1994 Austrian gold series commemorating the Congress of Vienna marks the 180th anniversary of the 1814–15 negotiations that redrew the map of Europe after Napoleon's defeat. The Congress was hosted in Vienna under Foreign Minister Klemens von Metternich, who used the occasion to cement Austrian dominance over the German states and suppress the liberal nationalist movements that had gained ground during the Napoleonic wars.

Austria's .986 fine gold coinage of this period sits just below the traditional .9999 standard — a specification carried over from earlier Schilling-era bullion policy before the euro transition rendered the entire series obsolete by 2002.