The One Groschen was worth 1/100 of a schilling, and was the smallest denomination in the Austrian Schillingcurrency, which 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, 5, 10, and 50 groschen were initially made from leftover blanks from the wartime German pfennig issues. 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). The 1 groschen was only struck dated 1947 (the coins were actually produced from 1947 to 1950 but keeping the same "frozen" date) and was then discontinued.
The reverse of the coin is designed by Adolf Hofmann and engraved by Arnold Hartig, and the obverse is designed by Michael Powolny.
The denomination, together with all the other Schilling coinage, was demonetised on 28 February 2002, when the country changed to the Euro currency.
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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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