Austrian 500 Schilling 1991 Beethoven
Austria
1991
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$49.18
Based on Silver spot price ($82.68/oz) · 92.5% purity · 20g
Updated 2:36 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | Austria |
| Years Minted | 1991 |
| Composition | 0.925 silver |
| Weight | 20 g |
| Diameter | 38 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Design
Obverse
Features the Austrian coat of arms and the inscription 'Republik Oesterreich' with the year 1991.
Reverse
Depicts a portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven along with musical motifs.
History & Notable Facts
The 1991 500 Schilling coin features Beethoven's portrait drawn from a life mask taken just before his death, giving it an eerie, direct link to the composer that few other tributes can match.
That mask-based design, etched into .900 fine silver, makes for a coin that's both a numismatic piece and a subtle artifact of art history. It weighs 20 grams and spans 34 millimeters, with the reverse showing a segment of his Ninth Symphony score—a choice that nods to his musical legacy without overdoing it.
Exact mintage figures? They're murky; records from the Austrian Mint in the early '90s aren't as precise as we'd like. Still, it's a solid example of Austria's composer series, struck for circulation and proof sets alike.
Some collectors quip it's the only way to own a bit of Beethoven without enduring his later string quartets.
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