The Organizing Committee of Coin Constellation - 2013

50 euro

10,14 g

22 mm

Gold 986°

30 000 pcs.

Proof

Designer: Thomas Pesendorfer (obverse),Herbert Waehner (reverse)

The Austrian Mint

The obverse of the coin bears a portrait of Klimt based on a photograph by Moriz Naehr from about 1917/1918, framed in a square, that brings to mind the canvas of a painting. The use of the square is also to highlight one of the most common shapes repeatedly used by Klimt in his paintings. In the bottom right corner of the square is Gustav Klimt’s signature based on his signature that he used on his many paintings. To the right of the square is a spiral, much like Klimt used, to ornament the coin. Also on this side the country of issue “REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH” or Republic of Austria, the face value of 50 euros and year of issue, 2012 appear. The reverse shows a portion of the famous painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. In the bottom left of the design field is the letter «K», the first letter of Klimt’s last name.

A prime example of Klimt’s «golden phase», «Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I» is the first of the artist’s masterpieces to feature in our superlative Gustav Klimt and his Women series. According to press reports it was sold for US $135 million to Ronald Lauder for his Neue Galerie in New York City in June 2006.