Description:
2005 saw the release of the third issue in Austria’s 25-Euro Silver-Niobium bimetallic coin series. The reception of the previous two releases was so positive that the Austrian Mint decided to raise the authorized mintage from 50,000 to 65,000. This decision did little to dampen collector enthusiasm for the innovative coin program.
The subject for 2005 was the 50th anniversary of television in Austria. The first commercial Austrian television broadcast occurred in 1956, when Austria’s publicly held media corporation Österreichischer Rundfunk ORF went live. Through to the end of the 20th century, the government held a monopoly on Austrian TV broadcasts. Changing television technology and increased competition from Germany led the government to ease its hold on the public airwaves. Today, there are more than two dozen public and private commercial broadcast channels serving a nation of over 8 million people.
Legal Tender in Austria, the 2005 50 Years of the Advancement of Television Technology Silver-Niobium 25 Euro Coin measures 34 mm, weighs 17.15 grams and is made of an outer ring of 0.900 fine silver with a purple Niobium inner center.
The coin was carefully struck in a special uncirculated finish. A total of 65,000 pieces were struck. In its original packaging, each coin comes in a plastic coin capsule, which fits snugly inside of a burgundy box. A serially numbered certificate of authenticity was also included.
Obverse:
A Telefunken TV Test Pattern fills the purple niobium center. The date 2005 appears at the bottom, to the right of two horizontal line segments. The inscription REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH arches around the top rim of the coin, centered in the silver outer ring. At the bottom center is the denomination 25 EURO, bordered by two dots.
Reverse:
A 1950s television set antenna against a backdrop of a globe centered on Europe fills the niobium center. On the left side of the silver outer ring, wrapping around 2/3 of the area of the coin, a vintage television, a television camera, a scene of a family watching television using a remote control, technicians in a television studio control room, and a trio of satellite dishes. At the bottom of the coin, canted slightly to the right, is the inscription 50 JAHRE FERNSEHEN (50 Years of Television).
Designer(s): Helmut Andexlinger is at the forefront of a younger generation of coin designers. His innovative work with computer technology has resulted in many award-winning coins for the Mint (View Designer’s Profile). Andexlinger studied at the Fachschule für Metalldesign in Steyr, Austria.
Coin Specifications:
| Country: | Austria |
| Year Of Issue: | 2005 |
| Denomination: | 25 Euro |
| Mint Mark: | |
| Mintage: | 65,000 |
| Alloy: | Niobium center with .900 Silver annular outer |
| Weight: | 17.15 grams |
| Diameter: | 34mm |
| OBV Designer | Helmut Andexlinger |
| REV Designer | Helmut Andexlinger |
| Quality: | Special Uncirculated |
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