Copper Coin
Vorarlberg – Uncirculated

Austria's most westerly province, Vorarlberg is bordered by Germany, Switzerland and Lichtenstein as well as by Lake Constance, one of Central Europe’s largest lakes. No tribute to Ländle, as Vorarlbergers affectionately call their native land, would be complete without der Bodensee, and so the lake fittingly features on both sides of the impressive fourth coin in our Austria Piece by Piece series.

So much more than a place of breathtaking natural beauty, Vorarlberg is also rich in ancient traditions, one of which, the Bodensee-Radhaube, a spectacular circular bonnet whose artisanal mode of production has been handed down from generation to generation, is considered an example of "intangible cultural heritage" by UNESCO. The bonnet is worn in its full glory on the coin’s obverse with Lake Constance and St. Martin's Tower in Bregenz, the provincial capital, in the background. The tower also features on the coin's reverse, as does the peak of the panoramic Pfänder and its cable car, in a highly original design by Alissa De Mori, a local schoolgirl who beat stiff opposition to win our competition to co-design the coin, which was supported by the Ministry of Education.

Struck in Special Uncirculated quality and Proof quality in silver, as well as Circulation quality in copper, each with magnificent piece comes with different packing.