In 2024, the Austrian town of Bad Ischl, located near Salzburg, is European Capital of Culture, together with 22 other towns in the country’s Salzkammergut region. To mark the occasion, the Austrian Mint is launching a three-part White Gold of Hallstatt silver €20 series in February, focussing on the history of the town, which is located in the south of the region. The series begins with Salt Mining, to be followed by Salt Trading in November, with the third and final coin in the series, Beliefs and Rituals, being issued in 2025.
Some 3,500 years ago, the richest and most technically advanced Europeans lived around Hallstatt, which lies on the southern shore of Lake Hallstatt, where they mined salt, the source of their great wealth. The Salt Mining coins transports…