Vienna Philharmonic
1 OUNCE FINE SILVER (999) CHRISTMAS EDITION 2018 English

One of the world’s most famous coins not only pays homage to one of the world’s most famous orchestras, its special 2018 Christmas edition also celebrates one of the world’s most famous songs. The Vienna Philharmonic in silver has proved to be a huge success with investors. Recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to the Vienna Boys’ Choir, Silent Night could be described as something of a hit itself.

Entitled Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht in the original German, Silent Night celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2018. The beloved and enduring Christmas carol was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in the church of St Nicholas in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by village priest Joseph Mohr, who wrote the words, and schoolmaster and organist Franz Xaver Gruber, who wrote the music. Silent Night proved such a popular tune that travelling folk singers began including it in their repertoire and soon it was performed for Emperor Franz I of Austria. The first performance of the song in the United States was in New York City in 1839.Silent Night has been translated into 140 different languages and was even sung simultaneously in German, French and English on the Western Front during the Christmas truce of 1914. In 2011, the song was declared intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. The church of St. Nicholas was destroyed by flooding in the early 20th century, but in its place stands the Silent Night memorial chapel. Thousands of visitors from all over the world visit the tiny chapel every year.

This product is also available in a German version.