{"id":276,"date":"2026-06-22T18:06:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/?p=276"},"modified":"2026-07-15T19:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T19:54:11","slug":"austrian-silver-schilling-coins-10-schilling-melt-values","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/austrian-silver-schilling-coins-10-schilling-melt-values\/","title":{"rendered":"Austrian Silver Schillings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Austrian Schilling ran from 1925 until the euro replaced it in 2002, and for most of that span the mint in Vienna struck circulating and commemorative coins in real silver. The workhorses are the 5, 10, 25, and 50 Schilling of the Second Republic, joined by a handful of larger 100 and 500 Schilling commemoratives. The most familiar to collectors is the 10 Schilling of 1957 to 1973, a .640 fine coin carrying about a seventh of a troy ounce of silver, minted in the tens of millions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide lists every silver denomination, its dates, fineness, gross weight, and actual silver weight (ASW), then shows how to turn those numbers into a melt value at the current <a href=\"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/silver-price\/\">silver spot price<\/a>. The famous Maria Theresa Thaler, restruck for trade well into the modern era, gets its own line at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Jump to the live calculator:<\/strong> the <a href=\"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/europe\/austria\/\">World Silver Melt Guide Austria calculator<\/a> prices every coin below against the live silver spot, updated throughout the trading day. Enter a denomination and read the melt value instantly.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Austrian Schillings Are Silver?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Short answer: the First Republic issues of 1924 to 1938 and the Second Republic silver issues of 1955 to 1982. Everything struck for daily change after that, and the low denominations throughout, are base metal. Watch the 5 and 10 Schilling especially, since both switched to copper-nickel while keeping a similar look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Era<\/th><th>Years<\/th><th>Silver?<\/th><th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>First Republic<\/td><td>1924\u20131938<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>\u00bd, 1, 2, and 5 Schilling in silver<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Anschluss \/ WWII<\/td><td>1938\u20131945<\/td><td>No coinage<\/td><td>Reichsmark in circulation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Second Republic, early base metal<\/td><td>1946\u20131954<\/td><td>No<\/td><td>Aluminum and bronze small change<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Second Republic silver<\/td><td>1955\u20131982<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500 Schilling<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Second Republic, later<\/td><td>1968\/1974 onward<\/td><td>No<\/td><td>Copper-nickel 5 and 10 Schilling; base-metal circulation<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Brief History of the Austrian Schilling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austria introduced the Schilling on December 20, 1924, and put it into circulation in 1925, replacing the hyperinflated Krone at 10,000 Krone to 1 Schilling. The First Republic struck silver \u00bd, 1, and 2 Schilling coins through the 1920s and 1930s, adding a large .835 fine 5 Schilling from 1934 to 1936 under the corporatist St\u00e4ndestaat. The 2 Schilling series doubled as a commemorative program, honoring figures such as Mozart, Schubert, and Engelbert Dollfuss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Anschluss of March 1938 ended Austrian coinage. The Reichsmark took over, and no Schillings were struck until the country regained independence. The Second Republic reintroduced the Schilling on November 30, 1945. Base-metal small change came first; silver returned in 1955 with a 25 Schilling marking the reopening of the Vienna State Opera and the signing of the Austrian State Treaty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From 1955 to 1982 the Vienna Mint issued silver 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 Schilling coins, a mix of everyday circulation pieces and commemoratives for anniversaries, cities, and historical figures. Rising silver prices thinned the fineness over time, from .900 on the early 50 Schilling down to .640 on the last of the series. The 500 Schilling of 1980 to 1982 was the final circulating silver denomination. After that, commemoratives moved to base metal or to bullion-priced precious-metal issues sold at a premium, and everyday coins stayed base metal until the euro changeover in 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First Republic Silver (1924\u20131938)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u00bd Schilling (1924\u20131926)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A small .640 fine coin, 3.0 grams, holding 0.0617 troy ounce of silver. Short series, struck only three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1 Schilling (1924\u20131932)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two distinct types. The first, dated 1924, is .800 fine at 7.0 grams for an ASW of 0.18 oz. The redesigned type of 1925 to 1932 dropped to .640 fine and 6.0 grams, giving 0.1235 oz. Check the date and weight before assuming which you hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2 Schilling (1928\u20131937)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A larger .640 fine coin, 12.0 grams, 0.2469 oz of silver. This denomination carried the First Republic commemorative program, with reverse portraits changing nearly every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5 Schilling (1934\u20131936)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The heaviest First Republic silver coin, .835 fine at 15.0 grams for 0.4027 oz. It shows a standing figure of the Madonna of Mariazell. A three-year type only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Second Republic Silver (1955\u20131982)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10 Schilling (1957\u20131973)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The signature Austrian silver coin and the one most people mean when they ask about melt value. Struck .640 fine at 7.5 grams, it carries 0.1543 troy ounce of silver. The obverse shows a woman of the Wachau valley in traditional dress; the reverse bears the Austrian eagle and denomination. Mintages ran into the tens of millions across seventeen years, so these are common and affordable, trading close to their silver content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Important: from 1974 the 10 Schilling was struck in copper-nickel with a similar design. Only the 1957 to 1973 dates are silver. Confirm the date before buying or melting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5 Schilling (1960\u20131968)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A .640 fine coin, 5.2 grams, 0.107 oz of silver, showing a horseman (the &#8220;Lipizzaner&#8221; rider). Silver dates are 1960 through 1968. Later 5 Schilling coins in copper-nickel share the design, so the date is again the tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">25 Schilling (1955\u20131973)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Second Republic&#8217;s commemorative silver flagship, .800 fine at 13.0 grams for 0.3344 oz. The first, in 1955, marked the reopening of the Vienna State Opera. Later dates honored composers, provinces, and anniversaries. All 25 Schilling coins in this run are silver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">50 Schilling (1959\u20131978)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two fineness levels. The 1959 to 1973 issues are .900 fine at 20.0 grams, the richest of the series at 0.5787 oz. The 1974 to 1978 issues kept the 20.0 gram weight but dropped to .640 fine, giving 0.4115 oz. Both are silver; the difference is silver content, so identify the date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">100 Schilling (1975\u20131979)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A .640 fine commemorative, 23.93 grams, 0.4924 oz. Issued for anniversaries such as the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics and the bicentennials and jubilees of the late 1970s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">500 Schilling (1980\u20131982)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last circulating silver Schilling, .640 fine at 24.0 grams for 0.4938 oz. A short, high-denomination commemorative series that closed out Austrian silver coinage for daily use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Complete Denomination Reference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Denomination<\/th><th>Years<\/th><th>Fineness<\/th><th>Gross Weight<\/th><th>ASW (oz t)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>\u00bd Schilling<\/td><td>1924\u20131926<\/td><td>.640<\/td><td>3.0 g<\/td><td>0.0617<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1 Schilling<\/td><td>1924<\/td><td>.800<\/td><td>7.0 g<\/td><td>0.1800<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1 Schilling<\/td><td>1925\u20131932<\/td><td>.640<\/td><td>6.0 g<\/td><td>0.1235<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2 Schilling<\/td><td>1928\u20131937<\/td><td>.640<\/td><td>12.0 g<\/td><td>0.2469<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5 Schilling<\/td><td>1934\u20131936<\/td><td>.835<\/td><td>15.0 g<\/td><td>0.4027<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5 Schilling<\/td><td>1960\u20131968<\/td><td>.640<\/td><td>5.2 g<\/td><td>0.1070<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>10 Schilling<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>1957\u20131973<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>.640<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>7.5 g<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>0.1543<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>25 Schilling<\/td><td>1955\u20131973<\/td><td>.800<\/td><td>13.0 g<\/td><td>0.3344<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>50 Schilling<\/td><td>1959\u20131973<\/td><td>.900<\/td><td>20.0 g<\/td><td>0.5787<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>50 Schilling<\/td><td>1974\u20131978<\/td><td>.640<\/td><td>20.0 g<\/td><td>0.4115<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>100 Schilling<\/td><td>1975\u20131979<\/td><td>.640<\/td><td>23.93 g<\/td><td>0.4924<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>500 Schilling<\/td><td>1980\u20131982<\/td><td>.640<\/td><td>24.0 g<\/td><td>0.4938<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Maria Theresa Thaler (restrike)<\/td><td>trade coin, dated 1780<\/td><td>.833<\/td><td>28.0668 g<\/td><td>0.7517<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Maria Theresa Thaler is not a Schilling, but no Austrian silver list is complete without it. Restruck by the Vienna Mint (and others) long after Empress Maria Theresa&#8217;s 1780 death, it circulated as trade silver across the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and beyond. Restrikes carry 0.7517 troy ounce of silver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Calculate Melt Value<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Melt value is the silver content times the spot price. Two steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Find the ASW:<\/strong> ASW = gross grams \u00d7 fineness \u00f7 31.1035. (31.1035 grams is one troy ounce.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Multiply by spot:<\/strong> Melt value = ASW \u00d7 silver spot price per troy ounce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Worked example with the 10 Schilling (1957\u20131973):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ASW = 7.5 g \u00d7 0.640 \u00f7 31.1035 = 0.1543 oz t<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At a silver price of $30.00\/oz: 0.1543 \u00d7 $30.00 = <strong>$4.63<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At $35.00\/oz: 0.1543 \u00d7 $35.00 = <strong>$5.40<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swap in the live number from the <a href=\"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/europe\/austria\/\">Austria calculator<\/a> and you have the current melt value. The same formula works for every coin in the reference table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Identify Austrian Silver Schillings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Date is the fastest test. The silver ranges are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>5 Schilling:<\/strong> silver only 1934\u20131936 (.835) and 1960\u20131968 (.640). Copper-nickel from 1968 onward.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>10 Schilling:<\/strong> silver only 1957\u20131973 (.640). Copper-nickel from 1974 onward, same basic design.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>25 Schilling:<\/strong> silver 1955\u20131973, all dates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>50 Schilling:<\/strong> silver 1959\u20131978, all dates (fineness varies).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>100 and 500 Schilling:<\/strong> silver 1975\u20131979 and 1980\u20131982 respectively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 5 and 10 Schilling look-alikes are the common trap: a silver 1964 10 Schilling and a copper-nickel 1980 10 Schilling sit side by side in old change and look nearly identical. Read the year. A magnet won&#8217;t help distinguish silver from copper-nickel (neither is magnetic), but it will expose plated fakes and any steel-core impostor. For a genuine silver coin, weight and diameter should match the table, and the edge and tone read as silver rather than the warmer gray of cupronickel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Buying and Selling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common-date 10 and 5 Schilling coins trade as bullion, at or slightly above melt, and turn up in bulk lots by weight. The 25 and 50 Schilling commemoratives carry a little more numismatic interest but still track silver closely for common dates. When selling, price against current ASW and expect a dealer to pay a percentage under spot; when buying for silver content, common Schillings in circulated grade are among the cheaper ways into European silver. Key dates, high grades, and the .900 fine early 50 Schilling can command premiums, so check mintages before assuming a coin is worth only its melt. Sell mixed lots by total silver weight rather than face value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Austrian Schillings are silver?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The First Republic \u00bd, 1, 2, and 5 Schilling (1924\u20131936) and the Second Republic 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 Schilling issued between 1955 and 1982. Later circulation coins and all the small denominations are base metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the 10 Schilling silver?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only the 1957\u20131973 dates. Those are .640 fine, 7.5 grams, with 0.1543 troy ounce of silver. From 1974 the 10 Schilling was struck in copper-nickel and contains no silver, despite a similar design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much silver is in a 10 Schilling coin?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">0.1543 troy ounce, roughly a seventh of an ounce. Multiply that by the live silver price for the melt value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the most silver-heavy Schilling?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 50 Schilling of 1959\u20131973, at .900 fine and 20.0 grams, holds the most: 0.5787 troy ounce. The 500 Schilling (0.4938 oz) and 100 Schilling (0.4924 oz) follow among the later issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the Maria Theresa Thaler an Austrian Schilling?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. It is a separate trade coin, dated 1780 but restruck for well over a century. It is .833 fine, 28.0668 grams, and carries 0.7517 troy ounce of silver, more than any circulating Schilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are Austrian silver Schillings worth more than melt?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common dates trade close to their silver value. Scarcer dates, high grades, and the early high-fineness 50 Schilling can bring a numismatic premium, so identify the exact coin before selling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Price your coins now:<\/strong> open the <a href=\"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/europe\/austria\/\">Austria silver melt calculator<\/a> to value any Schilling against the live silver spot price, updated throughout the day.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Related guides: <a href=\"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/gold-and-silver-coins-of-the-german-empire\/\">Gold and Silver Coins of the German Empire<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/dutch-silver-coins-guilders-rijksdaalders-melt-values\/\">Dutch Silver Coins: Guilders and Rijksdaalders<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/world-coins-from-colonial-empires-to-modern-nation-states\/\">World Coins: From Colonial Empires to Modern Nation-States<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Austrian Schilling ran from 1925 until the euro replaced it in 2002, and for most of that span the mint in Vienna struck circulating and commemorative coins in real silver. The workhorses are the 5, 10, 25, and 50 Schilling of the Second Republic, joined by a handful of larger 100 and 500 Schilling &#8230; <a title=\"Austrian Silver Schillings\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/austrian-silver-schilling-coins-10-schilling-melt-values\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Austrian Silver Schillings\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,66],"tags":[90],"class_list":["post-276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-austria","category-europe","tag-austria-silver-coins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299,"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions\/299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldsilvermeltguide.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}