2024 Austrian Gold Philharmonic .9999 1/4 oz BU

When you say the word ‘philharmonic,’ something musical springs to mind. Rightfully so. The term philharmonic is associated with orchestra and symphony – beautiful music. For gold bullion investors, Philharmonic means a beautiful gold coin from Austria commemorating that nation’s rich history in music.

The coin features Vienna’s famed Musikverein Concert Hall, home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. Conductors such as Hans Richter and Gustav Mahler have led performances there in the city of Mozart and Beethoven. When classical music historians and aficionados refer to the “philharmonic”, they are likely referring to Vienna’s great symphony.

As for the Philharmonic gold coin, the idea was to incorporate the grace and style of its namesake into the design. And it turned out spectacularly.

When it was introduced in 1989, it was the first European 1/4 oz gold bullion coin designed for investment to go into production. Since then, the Gold Philharmonic has established itself with investors, recognized and trusted throughout the world.

Let’s go back further though and examine the history and creation of this coin.

What’s the Back Story Here?

During the 1980s, imports of the Krugerrand, South Africa’s famous gold bullion coin, were banned in many countries due to international sanctions which were imposed there. Those sanctions severely restricted the availability of 1/4 oz coins for investment because the Krugerrand was the most popular and successful coin in the world market.

The Austrian government decided to tackle this issue with the creation of its own gold coin. Production of Austrian Gold Philharmonics began and met with success right away. Bullion markets were hungry of a beautiful, pure gold alternative to the Krugerrand.

Austrian officials decided to produce a 1/4 oz gold coin in 1986, but it wasn’t until 1989 that the first coin was actually minted. In that first year of production, the Austrian Mint came out strong and produced 351,000 units of the 1/4 Troy oz gold coin. They also produced Only 272,000 units of the ¼ troy oz Philharmonic gold coin. (Austrian gold coins)

By 1990, it was already the best-selling and popular gold coin in Europe and the second best-seller in the world.