Silver Coin
Burgenland – Proof

Not only Austria’s most easterly province, Burgenland is also the flattest. Forming the border with neighbouring Hungary, this former frontier land was once known as ‘German West Hungary’, which explains why Burgenland looks and feels different from the rest of Austria. Now located in the centre of the new Europe, this relaxed and sunny province is showcased on the eighth coin in the Austrian Mint’s educational Austria Piece by Piece series.       

As well as a border, Burgenland shares the unique and atmospheric Lake Neusiedl with Hungary. The shallow steppe lake’s southern shore is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with abundant reed beds that provide a natural habitat for migratory birds. Many of the villages on the lake’s shore are famous for the storks that spend the summer nesting on their rooftops. The lake and its stunning birdlife feature on both sides of the coin, while some examples of Burgenland’s historic buildings are depicted on the coin’s reverse. Designed by schoolgirl Leonie Schrollenberger, who won the competition to design the coin, the reverse also shows a bottle of wine – Burgenland’s other world-class contribution.