The Austrian Mint is in 2017 continuing it's tradition of issuing affordable collector's coins to celebrate Easter. Much like Last year, 2016, there will again be both silver and copper coins available to order.
In 2016 the Austrian Mint chose to depict Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer’s painting entitled “Young Hare” which was completed in 1502. This year the theme is “Easter Lamb”.
Austria 2016 Copper Hare Coin Reverse
Easter is celebrated by Christians from across the world, and commemorates the resurrection of Christ following the Crucifixion. In some parts of the world Easter is referred to as Resurrection Sunday.
Austria 2017 Easter Lamb Silver Coin Reverse
The lamb is often used as a part of Christian iconography to represent purity, innocence and unfaltering faith. The lamb is ever present in the Christian faith. Psalm 23 refers to God as Shepherd leading his flock. In Corinthians 5:7 Paul the Apostle refers to Jesus as the paschal lamb who was sacrificed by his Father to save the rest of His flock.
Then again in John 1:29, John the Baptist sees Jesus and proclaims : "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Furthermore a lion-like lamb that rises to deliver victory after being slain appears several times in the Book of Revelation.
Austria Silver 5 Euro obverse
The coin's reverse design depicts a life-like image of a lamb, resting in a bountiful field in the foreground. The the upper left, in the background, is a depiction of the proverbial Lamb of God carrying a holy vexillum. The image is reproduction of an early 13th century keystone in the parish church of St Egidi in the Austrian province of Steiermark.
Austria 2017 Easter Lamb Copper Coin Reverse
The obverse in turn depicts the standard obverse design for Austrian commemorative five Euro coins. The design depicts a large numeral “5” in the centre, surrounded by nine shields. Each shield bears the coat of arms of one of the nine Austrian federal provinces, this in turn is echoed by the nine sided rim of the coin. The interlocking shields and circle surrounding the number five in the middle form as radiant sun in turn. The legend reads : “REPUBLIK OSTERREICH” and “EURO”, and is inscribed between the top of the shields and the coin's rim.
Austria 2017 Easter Lamb Silver Coin packaging
The coin is available in a 1/4oz sterling silver(.925 Fineness) as well as a copper coin, both measuring 28mm(1.1 inch) in diameter. The silver coin is minted to a special uncirculated finish and is shipped on a printed blister pack featuring information in both German and English. The silver coin has a mintage of 50 000 coins and is being released by the Austrian Mint for €18.60(US$20) each.
The copper coin has a more substantial mintage of 200 000 coins and is being sold by the Austrian Mint at face value of €5(US$5.40) per coin. The copper Easter Lamb coin is a regular business strike or uncirculated coin that is supplied raw(without any special packaging).
Both coins are available to order directly from the Austrian Mint.
