Obverse: features the coats of arms of Austria’s nine federal provinces arranged around the large numeral 5, with the inscription REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH encircling the design. The composition is inspired by the classic Austrian 50-schilling coins.
Reverse: depicts the historical opening session of Parliament after the 1907 election, showing the government bench, officials, and newly elected members. In the foreground appear two oval portraits – Emperor Franz Joseph I and Max Wladimir Freiherr von Beck, both instrumental in implementing the electoral reform.
About the coin: issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of universal male suffrage in Austria. Struck in .800 silver, the coin has a nonagonal shape, typical of Austrian 5-euro collector issues. As part of the “European Achievements” series, it highlights one of Central Europe’s most important democratic reforms.
