The Austrian Mint (Münze Österreich) was founded in Vienna in 1194 using ransom money paid by England for the release of Richard the Lionheart. After centuries of producing currency for Austria and the Habsburg Empire, the Mint was reorganised in 1989 as a subsidiary of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank.
The Mint launched the Vienna Philharmonic gold coin in 1989 — depicting instruments from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The silver Philharmonic followed in 2008. Both are .9999 gold / .999 silver respectively and are the best-selling European bullion coins. Their large 37mm diameter makes them visually distinctive.