The Five Groschen was worth 5/100 of a schilling, and was the second smallest circulating denomination in the Austrian Schilling currency after the 1 Groschen was discontinued in 1950.
The Schilling was restored as the currency of the Republic of Austria when the republic itself was restored after World War II in 1945. Between 1947 and 1952, coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 groschen; and 1, 2, and 5 schilling were introduced. The 1 and 5 groschen and the first type of 10 groschen were in zinc, which is not very suitable for coinage (it corrodes and wears off fast); however, the denomination was issued in this format in circulation quantities until 1992, and for collectors' sets until 1994.
The reverse of the coin is designed by Adolf Hofmann, and the obverse by Michael Powolny.
Austrian 5 Groschen coins issued in 1982 were legal tender for 20 years until the denomination was demonetised, together with all the other Schilling coinage, in 2002 when the country changed to the Euro currency.
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Within a plain border, the obverse of the coin features the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Austria, which is an eagle with open wings, crowned with a mural crown (representing a state, and not a monarch), holding a hammer in its left foot (right from the point of view of the viewer) and a sickle in its right foot. Its feet are in shackles, but the chain between them is broken, symbolising a liberated Austria.
On the eagle's breast, the shield of Austria divided into three horizontal stripes representing the national flag, with "heraldic hatching" (thin lines) indicating the colours: red-white-red.
Around the rim, the inscription REPUBLIK · ÖSTERREICH · (Republic of Austria). |
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