5 euro - New Year Coin 2023

The likeable and intelligent domestic pig has been kept by humans for some 9,000 years. In present-day Austria, pork is still by far the most popular meat and plays a starring role in Austrian cuisine. In former times, the pig was a symbol of plenty because it could sustain an entire family for a considerable amount of time. The popular Austrian expression ‘Schwein gehabt’ (literally ‘had pig’), meaning to be fortunate in one’s misfortune, is said to have been coined in the 16th century during times when people did not have enough to eat. The lucky ones were those who had at least one pig. Maybe the pig can be a sign of hope for us all in these troubled times, because something unforeseen and pleasant can happen even when there is no sign of light at the end of the tunnel. We wish you unexpectedly pleasant experiences in 2023 and hope that by the year’s end you too can say that you have had pig! The obverse of the nine-sided coin shows the coats of arms of all nine of the provinces of Austria. The coin’s reverse features the head of a pig, its snout slightly raised above a crop of lucky four-leafed clovers. A pig and four-leafed clovers – two lucky symbols for the price of one!