Helmut Andexlinger leads our team of engravers.
Ably assisted by Kathrin Kuntner, Anna Schlindner and Rebecca Wilding, Helmut adheres to the following philosophy: "Teamwork is of the utmost importance to me, with everyone working together towards the same goal. I believe in always taking the long road when it comes to artistic expression. And I try to pass this attitude on to my colleagues. Just because we use state-of-the-art technology, it doesn’t mean that we don’t learn lessons from our history. On the contrary, we take inspiration from historical medals and designs."
In this way, Helmut and his team are the latest in the long and noble tradition of Münze Österreich and are deeply committed to ensuring that all the coins they produce are miniature masterpieces.
Helmut Andexlinger has been in charge of the engraving department since 2017 and has assembled a forward-thinking design team. Their work is based on a collective approach that deliberately dispenses with the hierarchical structures that are so often the norm. Helmut experiments with new forms, colour combinations and innovative approaches, but still attaches great importance to traditional handicraft, as shown by the historical and contemporary elements that both feature in his designs.
Anna Schlindner’s great strength is her impressive range of ideas for implementing designs. In her work, she creates a lively and wide-ranging universe of design variants and follows traditional techniques in the elaborate production of models. Once minted, Anna's exquisite designs are second to none, with her diverse repertoire ranging from coins with vivid colour nuances to minimalist aesthetics.
After graduating from the Fachschule für Metalldesign (technical institute for metal design) and a stopover in Switzerland, Kathrin Kuntner landed in Vienna where she soon established herself as an important part of the creative team at Münze Österreich. What sets Kathrin apart is her ability to combine traditional handicraft with new approaches to coin design, some of which can be seen to be complete re-interpretations of existing designs.
Rebecca Wilding demonstrates her eye for beauty through her passion for bringing themes to life in an artistic way, creating a unique effect in the process. Her ability to create aesthetically pleasing coin designs is one of her great strengths; the way her special touch pushes the boundaries of coin design is another. No wonder she is one of the emerging young talents in coin design.
Another product of the Fachschule für Metalldesign in his hometown of Steyr, Herbert Waehner is not only a gifted numismatic artist but also talented at creating concepts for inspiring children. The mastermind behind the Austrian Mint’s popular children’s workshops, he is both a tireless researcher of the themes chosen for our coins and an expert at transforming them into artistic creations famous in the numismatic world for their depth of detail.
Anyone, anywhere in the world with an interest in contemporary coins will be familiar with the name Thomas Pesendorfer. Creator of the world famous Vienna Philharmonic bullion coin and winner of numerous awards for his work, he attended the Fachschule für Metalldesign in Steyr where he discovered his vocation and was eventually advised to join the Austrian Mint, a Mecca for Austrian engravers. While he has scaled the heights of his profession, his feet are very firmly on the ground, refusing to accept that engraving is an art but considering it more of an “artistic craft”.
Always ambitious, Christa Reiter began her career working as a goldsmith by day and studying for her A levels by night. Her effort was rewarded when on being interviewed by the Austrian Mint she was hired on the spot. She has designed numerous coins but later on focused her extraordinary talent and attention to detail principally on the creation of exceptionally popular special occasion medals. Christa’s appointment has proved most fortuitous for the Austrian Mint. If you buy one of her good luck tokens she may just bring you luck too.
