The Vienna Philharmonic 1 oz Silver Coin is one of the most important and best-selling silver coins worldwide. With a fineness of 999/1000 and a weight of 1 oz this silver coin is ideal for silver investors. The Austrian Mint AG is the official mint of the Vienna Philharmonic. The Silver Philharmonic can be bought at VAT-free in our Estonian branch.

Fineness, size, weight and denomination

Since the first issue in 2008, the Vienna Philharmonic Silver Coin has not changed. It has a fineness of 999/1000 and a fine weight of 1 oz, which corresponds exactly to 31.103 g. Due to the high fineness the coin it scratches easily because silver is a soft precious metal.

The diameter is 37.0 mm with a thickness of 3.20 mm. With the embossed face value of 1.50 Euro the Philharmonic is also official currency in Austria and the Eurozone, although it is not used as legal tender as the value of the silver in the coin greatly exceeds the nominal value.

Ounce         Fineweight     Diameter     Thickness         Nominal Value

1oz                 31.103 g             37.0 mm              3.20 mm                  1.50 Euro

The History of the Vienna Philharmonic Silver Coin

With the ban on imports of Krugerrands in 1986 many mints and countries started to mint their own bullion coins for the investment market. Out of all gold bullion coins worldwide the Krugerrand was the undisputed number one coin at this time.

In 1989 Austria had also entered the world stage of bullion coins with the Vienna Philharmonic gold coin. The Philharmonic had from the beginning unprecedented success. The gold Philharmonic holds records in multiple years as the best-selling gold bullion coin in the world.

In 2008, the Vienna Philharmonic silver coin was issued and once again with great success. The same motifs of the Vienna Philharmonic gold coin that Thomas Pesendorfer had designed as chief engraver of the Austrian Mint AG were used for the silver edition.

With annual editions in the double-digit millions the Philharmonic in Silver coin is one of the best selling bullion coins in the world, along with Maple Leaf and the American Eagle.

Appearance and Themes

A consistent and distinctive look makes the Vienna Philharmonic Silver Coin one of the most sought after investment coins worldwide. Philharmonic Silver and Gold coins have the same motifs only the labeling is different.

The knurling of the silver coin does not consist of a typical rippled edge but is just smooth. The existing border has the task of preventing damage as it stands out a little higher. Furthermore, the high border bar allows for very good stackability.

The obverse of the coin presents a design of classical music instruments.  In the top row, a horn, a bassoon and harp are depicted. In the lower part of the coin half-round five stringed instruments are displayed. In the middle a cello and to the left and right two violas and two violins can be seen. Slightly curved above the instruments the word "silver" is stamped. The name of the coin "Wiener Philharmoniker" is distributed peripherally over 180 degrees of the upper half.

On the back of the Vienna Philharmonic Silver coin the original organ in the famous "Golden Hall" of the Musikverein in Vienna is depicted. In addition, the balcony where the organ stands is partly shown. The outer ends of the balcony pictured even extend to the edge of the coin bar. The country of manufacture "Republic of Austria" is stamped over 180 degrees on the upper side of the edge bar. Directly below the motif the fine weight can be seen including the year of mintage. On the bottom edge of the silver coin the denomination of 1.50 Euros can be found.

Austrian Mint AG

The "Vienna Mint" or "Austrian Mint" as it was called for centuries and is still referred to by the Viennese, was first documented in the year 1397. The Mint was responsible for coining the Austrian schilling to 2001 and thus has been a very important part of the Austrian Ministry of Finance. In 1989 with the introduction of the Vienna Philharmonic gold coins the Mint was converted into a public limited company and then sold to the Austrian National Bank. Since 2002, the Austrian Mint AG is responsible for coining the Austrian Euros. Its main products include mainly the Vienna Philharmonic gold and silver coins. Furthermore, the Mint produces Maria Theresa Thaler, commemorative, collector coins and bullion. Austrian Mint gold bars have weights from 1 g to 1 kg and are produced by Argor-Heraeus in Switzerland. This is possible because the Austrian Mint AG owns a share of Argor-Heraeus.

Advantages & Disadvantages Vienna Philharmonic Silver Coins

The Vienna Philharmonic in silver comes from a very well-known mint, which guarantees an outstanding quality of the silver coin. Further, the coin has a very good reputation around the world, as a result they can be bought and sold at almost all precious metal dealers and banks. Another advantage of the silver coin is the high fineness of 999/1000 and the fine weight of 1 oz. This standard fine weight allows the premium of the Vienna Philharmonic to be very low.

This can be seen especially in the gold bullion coin where weights of less than 1 oz, incur higher premiums compared to a 1 oz coin. Another advantage of the Vienna Philharmonic Silver Coin is the consistent appearance, as it has not changed since the beginning of coinage in 2008, for this reason it has a very good recognition. The downside, as with all investment silver coins in Germany is the purchasing VAT of 19%. In contrast, investment gold coins are exempt from VAT in Germany. The last EU country where silver coins can be bought VAT free is Estonia.

Tips Vienna Philharmonic Silver Coin

Vienna Philharmonic silver coins are best bought VAT free at our branch in Estonia. The next most important tip we give you with silver buying is to buy when the price of silver is low. Otherwise, you can lose money through the volatile silver price within a very short time.

For this reason you should educate yourself about the price of silver over recent months, years and decades. Only then do you get a feel for purchasing silver as an investment.

Another tip we can give you is to compare the prices of the Vienna Philharmonic with various precious metal dealers in order to find out the best price. In addition, the premium usually decreases when larger quantities of silver is purchased.

How the price of silver coins is composed

To the investor it’s not at all clear how the price of silver coins such as the Vienna Philharmonic is composed. Please see below an in-depth explanation.

The price of silver coins is made up of the actual silver price and the surcharge levied by the producers and sellers of silver coins. The price of silver is noted on various commodity exchanges around the world where supply and demand determine the price.

Supply and demand are in turn influenced by a variety of things. Here the dollar price, oil price, delivery rates of silver, global economy, global geopolitical situation, traded OTC derivatives and much more is involved. Furthermore, a low silver prices affects mining, since silver prices can be below manufacturing costs. In times where silver prices are very low, the mining output may decrease. A lower output can in turn lead to higher demand and increase the price of silver. The make up of the silver price is very complex and influenced by a number of factors.

The premium is the fee the producer charges. This fee reflects the costs and margin associated with minting and selling silver coins, in this case, the Vienna Philharmonic. The cost includes all expenditures. These include stamping machines, production of blanks, packaging, transportation, security, personnel costs, etc. Furthermore, most manufacturers and mints are profit oriented, so a certain margin is added to silver coins. Just like the mint the seller of silver coins adds a premium to cover their costs plus a profit. For this reason, the prices for Vienna Philharmonic silver coins can vary between different vendors because they each have different cost structures.

Details

Country of origin: Austria

Manufacturer: Austrian Mint AG

Weight: 31.103 g