People

we know from history books played a great part in the founding of the Vienna Mint more than 800 years ago: the Babenberg Duke Leopold V had taken King Richard the Lionheart of England prisoner in Austria after an argument in the Holy Land. The silver from part of the ransom paid for the king’s release motivated the founding of the Vienna Mint at the Babenberg Court around 1194. After 1397 the Mint was situated in the Wollzeile, and since 1752 in Prince Eugen’s previous winter palace in the Himmelpfortgasse. In 1834 the Emperor Franz I ordered the building of the Mint House in the Heumarkt, which has remained the centre of administration and production to this day. In 1989 the Austrian Mint PLC emerged from the main Republic Mint as an affiliated company of the Austrian National Bank. New management fostered an atmosphere of fresh impetus among enthusiastic employees.

Machines

played no part in minting for centuries. Up to the 16th century only hammer minting was known. Attempts at roller minting were made in the 16th century. But the so-called rocker press, a combination of rolling and stamping, was used only after the mid-17th century. The Vienna Mint remained technologically in step with the times with the screw press in the 18th century and the lever press in the 19th century. The electric motor replaced water and steam power in 1907. At the beginning of the sixties modern minting machines were producing 300 coins per minute, a volume which has been raised by high-tech automation to 750 per minute.

Coins

were characterised by their time, and conversely, the coins characterise times prevailing. “We characterise Austria,” proclaims the Mint in Vienna. That was and is true for the Viennese Pfennig from around the year 1200 and the Kreuzer, Groschen, Dukat and Gold Gulden in the 15th century, and the Taler at the beginning of the 16th century. The time of the Gold Krone as currency was honoured by a Grand Prix award at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900. Until the end of 2001, the  Austrian Schilling was known as one of the world’s hardest currencies. Since 2002 we have been striking the Euro, the common currency of the European Union.