Austrian Mint Issue Glossglockner High Alpine Road 5 Euro Silver Commemorative!

June 16, 2010: The Austrian Mint continues it's high standard series of distinctive commemorative 5 euro coinage with the release of the Grossglockner-High Alpine Road Brilliant Uncirculated Silver anniversary issue.


Austria 2010 5€ 75th Anniversary Grossglockner-Alpine Road Silver BU

The Grossglockner High Alpine road was constructed between 1930 and 1935 as a way of crossing from the province of Salzburg to Carinthia in the south by motorcar, bus, motorbike or even bicycle. Originally thought of as a pipe dream, the road was built over a period of 26 months, with 870,000 cubic meters of earth and rock being moved, 115,750 cubic meters of retaining wall constructed and 67 bridges erected. A total of 3,200 men laboured with the simple tools of the day, completing it all in record time. The road itself was and still remains an engineering marvel, rising to a height of 7,770 feet. It is 30 miles long, has 36 hairpin turns and many more curves, and has 2 tunnels.

On the reverse of the coin is an image of 2 switch-back curves winding up the Grossglockner pass. The car on the left is an Audi Roadster from 1935 while the second car; on the right going up the road is a modern convertible car. The two cars represent the 75 years of motoring on this mountain pass. The roadbed also reflects this span of time as the Mint’s Chief Engraver, Thomas Pesendorfer, chose to include some of the original cobblestones as well as reflect the modern paved sections on this side of the coin. Along the outer edge of the road is a wall made of thousands of bricks and topped with a guardrail. Soaring above the car is an eagle gliding on the updrafts. In the top right quadrant are the words "Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse" or Grossglockner High Alpine Road, as well as the dates 1935-2010.

The obverse of the distinctive nine-sided coin is the standard 5 euro design, with the denomination encircled by the shields of the nine federal provinces of Austria. In the center is the face value of 5 euros. Mint engraver Helmut Andexlinger designed the reverse. Each 5 euro coin is struck from 8 grams of 80% fine silver on a 28.50mm flan in brilliant uncirculated quality. The coin is presented in an official vacuum-sealed informative (English and German) coin pack.