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500 Schilling Goldsmith
| Issuer | Münze Österreich |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features a finely engraved decorative goldsmith's chalice or standing cup at centre-left, rendered in high relief with ornate foliate stem and broad shallow bowl, exemplifying Renaissance-era Austrian goldsmithing. To the right, a detailed architectural vignette depicts the baroque skyline of Salzburg, dominated by the twin towers and dome of the Salzburg Cathedral. The denomination '500 Schilling' appears in two lines at lower left, with the date '1998' inscribed in the exergue at the bottom of the field. The legend 'REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH' arcs across the upper rim in bold Latin characters. The overall composition merges craft heritage with architectural iconography in a classically balanced design. |
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| Mint | Austrian Mint |
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| Additional information |
Austria's "Craftsmen" series, of which this is a part, was conceived in the mid-1990s as Münze Österreich anticipated the coming obsolescence of the Schilling ahead of euro adoption — a way to document vanishing trades before the currency itself vanished. The goldsmith subject is pointed: Austria's guild traditions in precious metalwork stretch back to medieval Vienna, and by the time this coin was struck, the number of registered independent goldsmiths in the country had been declining sharply for two decades.
The .925 fineness matches traditional Britannia silver rather than the fine silver more common in Austrian commemoratives of the period.