Austrian Calendar Medals Page I

Austrian Calendar Medals

The Calendar Medals (Kalendermedaille) produced by the Austrian Mint probably had their origin
in 1933. They have been minted annually ever since and are a fascinating series of medals with
superb designs executed by master engravers and minters. They usually depict one of the seven
planets known to ancient astrologers (in astrology the Sun and Moon are treated as planets) or by
their manifestation as deities (generally Roman) or at least by a closely related theme. The
reverses usually have a calendar of all the Sundays of the year as well as the dates of major
holidays surrounding the calendar design. Many Calendar Medals also exist in customized
versions which were created for the needs of specific Mint customers.

The subjects of the medals' designs follow a recurring seven year cycle. At the beginning of each
new seven-year production cycle the subjects are re-used but with new designs. Those recurring
subjects in order of appearance seem to be:

1. Sun/Sol 2. Venus, 3. Mercury 4. Moon/Luna 5. Saturn 6. Jupiter 7. Mars

Often the Calendar Medal's design incorporates the
Astrological signs of the Planets or the signs of the Zodiac.
Those symbols have variations but may be similar to the
chart to the left.

Availability: US customers can order the current Austrian
calendar medals (usually the last 3-4 years) through the
Austrian Mint's official US distributor at:
http://www.eurocollections.com

1933 Sol 1934 Venus 1935 Mercury

Calender medals are 40mm in diameter and have been made in Bronze, Silver, Zinc, Gold, Silver plated, Gold plated and
some of the more modern ones were made in a Proof only finish and had limited mintages.

1936 Moon/Luna 1937 Saturn 1938 Jupiter

Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany when German troops entered the country on March 12, 1938. A Nazi government was
formed that was headed by Arthur Seyss-Inquart. Austria, now called the Ostmark (Eastern March), was divided into seven
administrative districts under the central authority of the German Third Reich. From March 1938 through part of 1945 Austria,
under German control, minted coins, tokens and medals at the direction of the Nazi Government. Some Austrian token and
medal designs continued to be used by the Nazis but many were altered to commemorate German enterprises, organizations
or businesses. (click the "Custom Calendars" link.

1939 Mars 1940 Sun/Sol 1941 Venus