Austrian schilling

The schilling (Template:Langx; ) is a former currency of Austria from 1925 to 1938 and from 1945 to 1999, and the circulating currency until 2002. The euro was introduced at a fixed parity of €1 = 13.7603 schilling to replace it. The schilling was divided into 100 .

History

Following the Carolingian coin reform in 794 AD, new units of account were introduced, including the , which consisted of 12 silver . It was initially only a coin of account but later became an actual coin produced in many European countries.

Before the modern Austrian schilling

The currencies preceding the schilling include:

• The florin, in existence as a currency of the Holy Roman Empire since the 16th century, divided into 8 = 60 = 240
• The Austro-Hungarian gulden after 1857, divided into 100
• The Austro-Hungarian krone, introduced in 1892 upon adoption of the gold standard; and
• The Austrian crown, introduced for Austria in 1919 upon the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In mediaeval Austria, there were short and long coins, valued at 12 and 30 respectively. Until 1857, the was a currency unit for 30 or 7+1⁄2 . The Austrian (also known as the , Template:Lit) was a silver coin worth 12 = 3 = 2⁄5 .

First Austrian schilling

The schilling was established by the Schilling Act () of 20 December 1924, at a rate of one schilling to 10,000 kronen and issued on 1 March 1925. The schilling was abolished in the wake of Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, when it was exchanged at a rate of 1.50 schilling for one .

Second Austrian schilling

The schilling was reintroduced after World War II on 30 November 1945 by the Allied Military, who issued paper money (dated 1944) in denominations of 50 groschen, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, and 1000 schilling. The exchange rate to the was 1:1, limited to 150 schilling per person. The Nationalbank also began issuing schilling notes in 1945 and the first coins were issued in 1946.

With a second "schilling" law on 21 November 1947, new banknotes were introduced. The earlier notes could be exchanged for new notes at par for the first 150 schilling and at a rate of 1 new schilling for 3 old schillings thereafter. This reform did not affect coins. The currency stabilised in the 1950s, with the schilling being tied to the U.S. dollar at a rate of $1 = 26 schilling. Following the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, the schilling was initially tied to a basket of currencies until July 1976, when it was coupled to the German mark.

Although the euro became the official currency of Austria in 1999, euro coins and notes were not introduced until 2002. Old schilling denominated coins and notes were phased out from circulation because of the introduction of the euro by 28 February of that year. Schilling banknotes and coins which were valid at the time of the introduction of the euro will indefinitely remain exchangeable for euros at any branch of the .

Coins

First schilling

In 1925, bronze 1 and 2 groschen, cupro-nickel 10 groschen, and silver 1⁄2 and 1 schilling coins were introduced, followed by cupro-nickel 5 groschen issues in 1931. In 1934, cupro-nickel 50 groschen and 1 schilling were introduced, together with silver 5 schilling. Coins were issued until 1938.

Also issued gold and silver coins: 2 schillings (1937) – 64% silver, 5 schillings (1934) – 83% silver, 25 schillings (1926) – 90% gold, 100 schillings (1924) – 90% gold.

Second schilling

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 pfennig issues. The 2 and 50 groschen; 1, 2, and 5 schilling were struck in aluminium, as was the second type of 10 groschen coin. The 1 and 5 groschen and the first type of 10 groschen were in zinc, with the 20 groschen struck in aluminium-bronze. The 1 groschen was only struck in 1947, while the 20 groschen and 2 schilling coins were suspended from production in 1954 and 1952, respectively. In 1957, silver 10 schilling coins were introduced, followed in 1959 by aluminium-bronze 50 groschen and 1 schilling, and in 1960 by silver 5 schilling coins. As a result, the composition of the 5 Schilling coins changed from aluminum to silver in the 1950s, which was a highly unusual event. Cupro-nickel replaced silver in the 5 and 10 schilling coins in 1969 and 1974, respectively. An aluminium-bronze 20 schilling coin was introduced in 1980.

Silver coins were in the value of 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 schilling, but gold coins also existed for 500 and 1,000 schilling. They were considered legal currency, but were rarely found in actual transactions. Coins under 10 groschen were rarely seen in circulation during their final years.

At the time of the changeover to the euro, the coins in circulation were the following:

Coins of the Second Schilling
Image	Value	Technical parameters				Description			Issued from	First issued	Withdrawn
		Diameter (mm)	Mass (g)	Composition		Edge	Obverse	Reverse
	1 gr.	17.00	1.80		Zinc	Smooth	Value; year of issue	Coat of arms; lettering:	1947–1950	5 Apr 1948	31 Dec 2001
	2 gr.	18.00	0.90		Aluminium: 98.5% Magnesium: 1.5%		Value; year of issue; lettering:	Coat of arms	1950–1991	15 Jul 1950
	5 gr.	19.00	2.50		Zinc	Reeded	Value; year of issue	Coat of arms; lettering:	1948–1992	17 Jun 1948
	10 gr.	21.00	3.50			Smooth			1947–1949	1 May 1947	31 Oct 1959
		20.00	1.10		Aluminium: 98.5% Magnesium: 1.5%			Coat of arms; value; lettering:	1951–1998	27 Nov 1951	31 Dec 2001
	20 gr.	22.00	4.50		Copper: 91.5% Aluminium: 8.5%		Value; year of issue; lettering:	Coat of arms	1950–1954	23 Dec 1950	31 Jul 1959
	50 gr.	22.00	1.40		Aluminium: 98.5% Magnesium: 1.5%	Smooth	Value; year of issue	Coat of arms; lettering:	1946–1955	11 Dec 1947	31 Dec 1961
		19.50	3.00		Copper: 91.5% Aluminium: 8.5%	Reeded	Gentian; value; year of issue		1959–1997	1 Oct 1959	31 Dec 2001
	S 1	25.00	2.00		Aluminium: 98.5% Magnesium: 1.5%	Smooth	Sower; value; year of issue; lettering:	Coat of arms	1946–1957	11 Dec 1947	31 Dec 1961
		22.50	4.20		Copper: 91.5% Aluminium: 8.5%		Value; year of issue; lettering:	Edelweiss; value	1959–1998	1 Sep 1959	31 Dec 2001
	S 2	28.00	2.80		Aluminium: 98.5% Magnesium: 1.5%		Coat of arms	Value, year of minting	1946–1952	11 Dec 1947	30 Jun 1958
	S 5	31.00	4.00		Aluminium: 98.5% Magnesium: 1.5%	Reeded	Value; year of issue; lettering:	Coat of arms	1952–1957	25 Oct 1952	31 Dec 1961
		23.50	5.20		Silver: 64% Copper: 36%		Coat of arms; value	Horse rider; lettering:	1960–1968	2 Jan 1961	30 Dec 1970
			4.80		Cupronickel: Cu: 75%; Ni: 25%	Smooth			1968–1998	15 Jan 1969	31 Dec 2001
	S 10	26.00	7.50		Silver: 64% Copper: 36%	Reeded	Woman; value; year of issue	Coat of arms; lettering:	1957–1973	1 Jul 1957	31 Mar 1977
			6.20		Cupronickel: Cu: 75%; Ni: 25%				1968–1998	15 Jan 1969	31 Dec 2001
	S 20	27.70	8.00		Aluminium bronze: Cu: 92% Al: 6% Ni: 2%	19 dots	Value; year of issue	Allegory of states; lettering:	1980–1992	10 Dec 1980
						Smooth			1993
						19 dots	Coat of arms; value; year of issue; lettering:	Various commemorative subjects	1982–1993	27 Mar 1982
						Smooth			1994–2001
	S 50	26.50	8.15		Outer: Aluminium bronze		States' coats of arms; value; lettering:		1996–2001	23 Oct 1996
		18.50			Inner: Magnimat
For table standards, see the coin specification table.

Banknotes

First schilling

File:Austria 1 S 1924 - 11.5.25-31.12.26.jpg

1 Schilling (1925)

In 1925, the issued notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 100 and 1,000 (note the different spelling of the plural on this first 1925-series of notes). The one-schilling notes were overprints of 10,000 notes.

In 1927–1929 a second series was added with 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 schilling notes. The one schilling was substituted by a coin.

Second schilling

In 1945, the Allies introduced notes (dated 1944) in denominations of 50 groschen, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100 and 1,000 schilling. The also introduced notes in 1945, in denominations of 10, 20, 100 and 1,000 schilling and the allied currency with small values up to 5 schilling remained valid until 1947. With the banknote reform of 1947, new notes were issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 1,000 schilling. Until 1957, the first 500 schilling banknote was issued and the 5 and 10 schilling notes were replaced by coins. However, although 20 schilling coins were issued from 1980, the 20 schilling note continued to be produced, with 5,000 schilling notes added in 1988.

Penultimate series (1983–1989) Designer: Robert Kalina
Image	Value	Euro equivalent	Dimensions (mm)	Main colour		Description		First printed	First issued	Withdrawn	Lapse
						Obverse	Reverse
	S 20	€1.45	123 × 62		Olive	Moritz Daffinger	Albertina	1 Oct 1986	19 Oct 1988	28 Feb 2002	Unlimited
	S 50	€3.63	130 × 65		Purple	Sigmund Freud	Josephinum	2 Jan 1986	19 Oct 1987
	S 100	€7.27	137 × 68		Green	Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk	Academy of Sciences	2 Jan 1984	14 Oct 1985
	S 500	€36.34	144 × 72		Red	Otto Wagner	Postal Savings Bank	1 Jul 1985	20 Jun 1986	20 Apr 1998	20 Apr 2018
	S 1000	€72.67	152 × 76		Blue	Erwin Schrödinger	University of Vienna	3 Jan 1983	14 Nov 1983
	S 5000	€363.36	160 × 80		Brown	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	Vienna State Opera	4 Jan 1988	17 Oct 1989	28 Feb 2002	Unlimited
Last series (1997) Designer: Robert Kalina
Template:R	S 500	€36.34	149 × 72		Orange	Rosa Mayreder	Women's Associations meeting, Vienna (1911)	1 Jan 1997	20 Oct 1997	28 Feb 2002	Unlimited
	S 1000	€72.67	154 × 72		Blue	Karl Landsteiner	Landsteiner in a laboratory
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

See also

• Austrian euro coins
• Economy of Austria
• Edwin Grienauer
• Shilling
• Schilling (unit) - unit of coinage that preceded the Austrian schilling

External links

• Overview of the Austrian Schilling from the BBC
• Library of Congress Country Studies Reports
• Banknotes Austria – Pictures of nearly all Austrian shilling banknotes
• colnect - catalogue by collectors > Coins > Austria (Österreich) > 1945–2002 — 2nd Republic (Schilling) Circulation (16), built 2003–2014
• The pre-Euro banknotes of Austria Template:In lang

Old Schilling

Preceded by: Austrian krone Reason: inflation Ratio: 1 Schilling = 10,000 Kronen

Currency of Austria 1925 – 1938

Succeeded by: German Reichsmark Reason: German annexation (Anschluss) Ratio: 1 Reichsmark = 1.5 Schilling

Allied Military Schilling

Preceded by: German Reichsmark Reason: restoration of sovereignty, under allied occupation Ratio: at par, limited to 150 schilling per person

Currency of Austria 30 November 1945 – November 1947

Succeeded by: New Schilling Reason: inflation Ratio: at par for the first 150 schilling per person, then 1 new Schilling = 3 Allied Military Schilling

New Schilling

Preceded by: Allied Military Schilling Reason: inflation Ratio: at par for the first 150 Schilling per person, then 1 Schilling = 3 allied military sSchilling

Currency of Austria 1947 – 31 December 2001 Note: euro existed as an accounting currency since 1 January 1999

Succeeded by: Euro Reason: deployment of euro cash Ratio: 1 euro = 13.7603 Schilling