Twenty years ago in 1989 the Austrian State Mint passed from the Treasury into the ownership of the central bank. The mint was given the freedom to produce and sell products in accordance with the demands of the modern numismatic and investment markets. One of the very first innovations introduced by the new CEO, Paul Berger, was the production of a gold bullion coin for investment purposes: the Vienna Philharmonic.

On 16th October this year a limited quantity of 6,027 Vienna Philharmonic coins, each weighing 20 ounces of fine gold, will go on sale in Europe, America and Japan.

20 ounces to commemorate 20 years!

Why the odd number? The mint decided to offer 2009 coins (the date of the 20th anniversary) in its three major markets: in Europe, in America and in Japan. Investors still remember the 15 giant coins (each of 1,000 ounces) that celebrated the fifteenth anniversary in 2004, and that entered the Guinness Book of Records as the then largest gold coin in the world. All 15 giant coins were snapped up within days, and the excitement surrounding this special issue of a 20 ounce coin promises a similar market reaction.

The new 20 ounce coin has a diameter of 74 mm and a thickness of 8.3 mm and is housed in a prestigious wooden and red velvet case. Pre-orders for this unique anniversary gold coin have already started pouring into the mint in Vienna. It promises to be a major success as indeed the past 20 years of the Austrian bullion programme have been.

The Vienna Philharmonic Story

The decision in 1989 to issue a gold bullion coin in the two weights of 1 ounce and ¼ ounce was greeted with indulgent smiles. Austria, a small central European country since the destruction of her empire in 1918 and without any gold mining industry to support, was entering the bullion market, long dominated by the Krugerrand and that time divided between the USA, Canada and Western Australia.
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The 2009 United States Mint Silver Proof Set contains 18 coins, each bearing the “S” mint mark of the United States Mint at San Francisco.

This year’s set contains 18 coins:  four Presidential $1 Coins honoring William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor; a new Native American $1 Coin; six commemorative quarter-dollar coins honoring the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories (the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands); four new Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Coins struck in honor of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth; and the Jefferson 5-cent coin, Roosevelt dime and Kennedy half-dollar.  The dime, half-dollar, and six quarters are struck in lustrous 90 percent silver.

All 18 coins bear the “S” mintmark of the United States Mint at San Francisco.  The set also includes a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the Director of the United States Mint.

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DALLAS, TX – Heritage Auction Galleries, the world’s leading numismatic auctioneer, has created a new online auction venue for World Coin buyers with its new Monthly Internet-only World Coin Auctions. The first installment of this new venture is currently online at www.HA.com/WorldCoins, closing on July 12. The next auction will start the same day, July 12, immediately following the closing of the previous auction.

“The format of the auctions is quite simple,” said Cristiano Bierrenbach, Director of International Sales at Heritage. “They will stay up for four weeks, will have an average of 500-600 certified lots, all unreserved and all starting at $1.”

As the undisputed industry leader in World Coins, Heritage is starting its monthly world coin Internet auctions as both a compliment to its weekly U.S. Rare Coin Internet-only auctions as well as to serve the world coin collecting audience devoted to coins that fall in the price range below that of most of the company’s more high profile auctions.

“There’s a consistent and committed audience for world coins that is only looking to spend anywhere from $30 to $300 and up,” said Bierrenbach. “We heard the demands of collectors and now present to them our monthly world coin Internet-only auctions.”

Buyers of rare world coins will now have a reason to visit the Heritage world coins auction home page more than just during the company’s Signature auction offerings. With a monthly selection of rare world coins – featuring the variety and pricing that Heritage is known for – collectors will have a reason to check in with Heritage on a regular basis. This allows them some excellent buys on fine and rare world coins as well as a first look at any catalog offerings that will be coming up.

“We’re excited to provide this opportunity to collectors,” said Bierrenbach. “They love fine world coins the way that we do here at Heritage, so we know what a regular buying occasion can do for them, and for their collections.”

For more information on this and other future World Coin Monthly Internet Auctions, to read detailed descriptions and download fully enlargeable, hi-res images, go online to the Heritage World Coin Auctions homepage. (more…)