Austrian schilling

Österreichischer Schilling (German)
20 schilling 20 schilling
ISO 4217 Code	ATS
User(s)	Austria
Inflation	2%
Source	CIA world factbook 2001
ERM
Since	19 June 1989
Fixed rate since	31 December 1998
Replaced by €, non cash	1 January 1999
Replaced by €, cash	1 January 2002
€ =	S 13.7603
Subunit
1/100	groschen
Symbol	S or öS
Plural	schilling
groschen	groschen
Coins
Freq. used	10 & 50 groschen, 1, 5 & 10 schilling
Rarely used	1, 2 & 5 groschen, 20 & 50 schilling
Banknotes	20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 & 5000 schilling
Central bank	Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Website	www.oenb.at
Mint	Münze Österreich
Website	austrian-mint.com
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.

The schilling was the currency of Austria from 1924 to 1938 & 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 groschen.

History

First schilling

The schilling was established by the Schilling Act (Schillingrechnungsgesetz) of December 20, 1924 at a rate of 1 schilling to 10,000 Austro-Hungarian Kronen & issued on March 1, 1925. The schilling was abolished in the wake of the Anschluss (1938), when it was exchanged at a rate of 2 German Reichsmark to 3 schilling.

Second schilling

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

With a second "schilling" law in November 21, 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 schilling thereafter. Coins were not affected by this reform. 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 and then, in July 1976, the schilling was coupled to the Deutsche Mark.

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

Coins

First schilling

In 1925, bronze 1 and 2 groschen, cupro-nickel 10 groschen, and silver ½ 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.

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 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. Thus, the 5 schilling coins went from an aluminium composition to a silver one, a highly unusual event made possible by the substantial improvement of the Austrian economy in the 1950s. 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.

At the time of the changeover to the euro, coins in circulation were the following. Coins under 10 groschen were rarely seen in circulation during the final years of validity.

Last Circulating Coins [1] [2] [3]
Image	Value	€ equiv.	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
			Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	first issue	last minting	end of legal tender status
	1 groschen	0.07 cent	17 mm	1.8 g	100% zinc	Smooth	State title, coat of arms	Value, year of minting	1947	5 April 1948	1950	31 December 2001
	2 groschen	0.15 cent	18 mm	0.9 g	98.5% aluminium 1.5% magnesium		Coat of arms	State title, value, year of minting	1950	15 July 1950	1991	31 December 2001
	5 groschen	0.36 cent	19 mm	2.5 g	100% zinc	Notched	State title, coat of arms	Value, year of minting	1948	17 June 1948	1992	31 December 2001
	10 groschen	0.73 cent	20 mm	1.1 g	98.5% aluminium 1.5% magnesium	Smooth	Coat of arms	Value, year of minting	1951	27 November 1951	1998	31 December 2001
	50 groschen	3.63 cent	19.5 mm	3 g	91.5% copper 8.5% aluminium	Serrated	Shield, state title	Value, gentian flower, year of minting	1959	1 October 1959	1997	31 December 2001
	S 1	7.27 cent	22.5 mm	4.2 g		Smooth	State title, value, year of minting	Edelweiss flowers, value	1959	1 September 1959	1998	31 December 2001
	S 5	36.34 cent	23.5 mm	4.8 g	Cupronickel1 75% copper 25% nickel	Smooth	State title, horse rider	Shield, value, year of minting	1968	15 January 1969	1998	31 December 2001
	S 10	72.67 cent	26 mm	6.2 g		Serrated	State title, coat of arms	Woman, value, year of minting	1974	17 April 1974	1998	31 December 2001
	S 20	1.45	27.7 mm	8 g	Aluminium bronze 92% copper 6% aluminium 2% nickel	Smoothly with 19 points/Smooth 2	State title, the nine Austrian provinces	Value, year of minting	1980	10 December 1980	1993	31 December 2001
	S 20						State title, value, shield, year of minting	Various commemorative subjects	1982	27 March 1982	2001	31 December 2001
	S 50	3.63	26.5 mm Core: 18.5 mm	8.15 g	Ring: Aluminium bronze (as S 20) Center: Magnimat 7	Smooth	State title, value encircled by the coats-of-arms of the states of Austria	Various commemorative subjects	1996	23 October 1996	2001	31 December 2001
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

1. 10 schilling has pure nickel core
2. Smoothly with 19 points until 1992. In 1993, all previous 20 schilling coins were reissued with smooth edges.

Banknotes

First schilling

In 1925, notes were introduced by the Austrian National Bank in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 100 & 1,000 Schillinge (note the different spelling of the plural on this first series of notes). 50 schilling notes were added in 1929.

Second schilling

20 schilling (1968)

In 1945, the Allies introduced notes (dated 1944) in denominations of 50 groschen, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100 & 1,000 schilling. The National Bank also introduced notes in 1945, in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 & 1,000 schilling. With the banknote reform of 1947, new notes were issued in denominations of 10, 20, 100 & 1,000 schilling, with 50 schilling notes reintroduced in 1951, followed by 500 schilling in 1953. In 1957, the 10 schilling note was replaced by a coin. 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.

1983 Series [4]
Image Front	Image Back	Value	€ equiv.	Dimensions	Description		Date of
					Obverse	Reverse	printing	issue
		S 20	1.45	123 × 61.5 mm	Moritz Daffinger	Albertina (Vienna)	1 October 1986	19 October 1988
		S 50	3.63	130 × 65 mm	Sigmund Freud	Josephinum (Alsergrund, Vienna)	2 January 1986	19 October 1987
		S 100	7.27	137 × 68.5 mm	Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk	Akademie der Wissenschaften	2 January 1984	14 October 1985
		S 500	36.34	144 × 72 mm	Otto Wagner	Post Office Savings Bank, Vienna	1 July 1985	1986
		S 1000	72.67	152 × 76 mm	Erwin Schrödinger	University of Vienna	3 January 1983	1983
		S 5000	363.36	160 × 78 mm	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	Wiener Staatsoper	4 January 1988	17 October 1989
1997 Series
Image Front	Image Back	Value	€ equiv.	Dimensions	Description		Date of
					Obverse	Reverse	printing	issue
		S 500	36.34	147 × 72 mm	Rosa Mayreder	Rosa Mayreder	1 January 1997	20 October 1997
		S 1000	72.67	154 × 72 mm	Karl Landsteiner	Karl Landsteiner	1 January 1997	20 October 1997
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

See also

• Austrian euro coins
• Economy of Austria
• shilling
• Edwin Grienauer

References

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
• Austrian banknotes explained and historical background information