2016-07-02 Sat

Austria had started a 10-coin program back in 2012 called “The Austria by Its Children: Piece by Piece 10 Euro commemorative coin series”. Each coin will celebrate the 9 federal states of Austria and the whole country.

10-year-old Viktoria Reicht had designed the reverse of the first coin in the series which commemorates the province named Steiermark in German or Styria. The region was ruled by the Otakar dynasty in the ninth-century. Its capital city Graz - a UNESCO acclaimed World Heritage site, had six universities like Graz University of Technology, where Nikola Tesla studied in 1875. The region is known for green and clean technology. Since it is situated southeast of the Alps, the area is warmer as it is protected from colder weather. The balmy Mediterranean weather patterns offers sunshine all year round.

The obverse depicts the city of Graz with its historical buildings like the clock tower, the Town Hall, Baroque-era cathedral, and Eggenberg Palace. Other inscriptions include ‘REPUBLIK OSTERREICH’, ‘GRAZ’, ‘2012’, ‘10 EURO’ and a monogram of Thomas Pesendorfer’s initials.

The reverse depicts Alpine mountains with forests, trees, sunflower fields, and apples. “Steiermark” is inscribed in a green heart indicating that the region is the “green heart” of Austria. Two pumpkins, three fishes and a lovely bird are also showcased reflecting the natural beauty of the region.