5 euro - Democracy

A coin the likes of which Austria has never seen before, Democracy is made from copper from the former roof of the Parliament building in Vienna. When you purchase the coin you therefore acquire a little piece of democracy and by spending 5 euros you get something priceless in return. On the occasion of the reopening of the Parliament building in Vienna, we are issuing this very special coin. The copper it contains originally formed part of the former roof of the building but was removed during the ongoing renovation of the building. By using it to make the copper edition of the Democracy coin, we are making our democratic tradition something tangible. A strong democracy thrives on discourse. Our opinions may differ, but our consensus is democracy. Likewise, fundamental rights and freedoms make a democracy what it is. They enable individual and social freedom and guarantee the co-determination of the individual. The coin’s reverse features two heads in profile and one full face, which represent the people as sovereign. To the left, we see a watchful eye surrounded by stylised laurel leaves, to the right, we see a section of the Austrian Parliament building in the background. But much more than this, the coin illustrates the spirit from which our nation was born. This is reflected in the Austrian Constitution, where it says: "Austria is a democratic republic. Its law emanates from the people." These wise words appear on the top and bottom edges of the coin.