Proof Austria 1983 10 Schilling~65,000 Minted~Woman Of Wachau~Free Shipping

COIN5555 U.S. AND FOREIGN RARE COINS

~SPECIAL OFFERING~

* Proof Austria 1965 10 Schilling Featuring a a Woman Of Wachau On The Reverse And a Low Mintage Of 65,000. For The History Of The Wachau Region See The History Below;

The Wachau (German pronunciation: [vaˈxaʊ]) is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoisseurs and epicureans" for its high-quality wines.^[1] It is 40 kilometres (25 mi) in length and was already settled in prehistoric times. A well-known place and tourist attraction is Dürnstein, where King Richard the Lion-Heart of England was held captive by Duke Leopold V. The architectural elegance of its ancient monasteries (Melk Abbey and Göttweig Abbey), castles and ruins combined with the urban architecture of its towns and villages, and the cultivation of vines as an important agricultural produce are the dominant features of the valley.^[2][3][4]

The Wachau was inscribed as "Wachau Cultural Landscape" in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its architectural and agricultural history, in December 2000.^[2][5]

History[edit]

Ancient history[edit]

Even before the Neolithic period brought in changes in the natural environment of the valley, Palaeolithic's records of the valley have been identified in the form of "figurines" in Galgenberg and Willendorf stated to be 32,000 years and 26,000 years old respectively that testify to human occupation in the valley.^[3] It has been inferred that Krems and Melk were well settled establishments in the early Neolithic period between 4500 BC and 1800 BC. Wachau Valley's ancient history in the Neolithic period started with deforestation by the people of the land for cultivation and settlement.

In 15 BC, the Celtic kingdom of Noricum became part of the Roman Empire. Since then the Empire's boundaries were made up along the Danube also in Wachau and the fortifications of the Limes were built along its southern banks, especially Castrum Favianis (what is now Mautern an der Donau) at the downstream end of the valley and some burgi (i.e. small watchtower-like fortresses) in the area of Rossatz-Arnsdorf municipality, the remains of which can still be seen today, most notably in Bacharnsdorf. Roman rule on the southern banks of the Danube came to an end when King Odoaker ordered the evacuation of the Latin speaking population in 488 AD.

The name "wachu" as such was recorded as "locus Wahowa" in 853 AD and the name of "Krems" was recorded as Urbs Chremisa in 995 AD, marking it as the oldest Austrian town.

The Babenberg Margraves, with Leopold I as their first king, ruled in Wachau from 976 AD. The 11th century marked an Austrian dukedom of Babenberg under Henry I, in 1156; it came under the great knightly family of the Wachau, the Kuenrings and later passed on to the Babenberg. With the dissipation of this line of rule, Duke Albrecht V (King Albrecht II) came to power in 1430. Between 1150 and 1839 AD, the four towns of St Michael, Wösendorf, Joching, and Weissenkirchen functioned independently. However, they formed a single entity as Wachau or Tal Wachau only in 1972.^[3] An interesting part of the 12th century history is the imprisonment of Richard the Lion heart, the King of England at the Kuenringerburg castle (now in ruins) above the Dürnstein town for the reason that he insulted the Babenberg Duke, Leopold V by showing disrespect to the Austrian flag (he had thrown it into a drain). Even though he was travelling in Austria (returning from the Holy Lands) in disguise (he had grown a beard to escape detection), he was identified in an inn in Erdberg, now a suburb of Vienna. He was finally released after paying a kingly ransom of 35,000 kg of silver. According to myth, the king's freedom was facilitated due to the efforts of his French aide Blondel. It is said that this silver booty was used to build Wiener Neustadt.^[6][7]

Between 1150 and 1839, the four towns of St. Michael, Wösendorf, Joching and Weissenkirchen functioned independently. However, they formed a single entity as Wachau or Tal Wachau only in 1972.^[3] Wachau also had its fair share of invasions. The Hungarians invaded in the 15th century and Matthias Corvinus occupied Krems and Stein in 1477. Church Reformists' activities also made an impact between 1530 and 1620, with the Protestants finally getting subdued by the Göttweig Abbot Georg II Falb in 1612"31; eleven Austrian Benedictine abbeys had lent full support in this victory. This had a profound impact on the religious culture of the valley with many churches, chapels and other monuments being built in the valley.^[3]

Set in the Wachau and depicting the politics of the times, the epic German poem "Nibelungenlied" was written around 1200 AD.^[8] Fragments of this epic was discovered in the monastic library of Melk, which are also displayed there.^[9]

However, substantial changes in the landscape were witnessed during medieval period from the 9th century with establishment of the Bavarian and Salzburg monasteries. During this process of development, economic needs necessitated creation of vine terraces to manufacture and market wine. In the 17th century, the area brought under vineyards varied widely depending on the climate and also the marketability of its wine. Viticulture on the hill slopes was practiced from the 18th century but adjustments in acreage brought under viticulture and pasture, and viticulture and horticulture (fruits) became necessary to meet the economic conditions in the region. Concurrent with this, the country side also started developing and this closely affected the agricultural practices in the region.^[2][3]

History of development of towns in the valley is traced to the 11th and 12th centuries. This development, which was of a homogeneous character with wooden buildings built for housing in irregularly shaped streets are seen even to this day. However, stone as building material was introduced in the 15th and 16th centuries to replace the old wooden structures by the peasants and the burghers. Since 1950, the residential complexes have appeared in the upper periphery of the valley.^[2][3]

A notable feature of the valley is the layout of the winegrowers' farmsteads. These are also of 11th and 12th century vintage and also credited to the 16th"17th centuries. They are basically laid in "oblong or U shape or L-shape" with two parallel set of buildings. The farmsteads also have the usual gated walls, facades, service buildings and vaulted passages, which over the centuries have been modified. Baroque architecture is a dominant feature with the street fronts depicting "late-medieval/post-medieval oriels on sturdy brackets, statues in niches, wall paintings and sgraffito work, or remnants of paintwork or rich Baroque facades." The architectural features of the roof of the Wachau house comprise a sharp slope with soaring hipped roof.^[2][3]

* Proof Coins Are More Valuable In General Than Most Business Strike Coins, Primarily Because Of Their Lower Mintage's. Overall Proof Mintage's Are Almost Always Lower And For Some Countries Average Less Then 1% Of The Total Coin Production.

* Upgrade Or Start Your Collection Of Proof Coins. Proofs Are The Supreme Examples Of The Art Of Coin-making. All Coins Are Made by Having Blank Discs Of The Metal Struck With Enormous Force Between Dies. This Heavy Blow Impresses The Design On Each Side Of The Blank And Also Rounds The Edge. Proof Coins Are Made Similarly But There Are Many Painstaking Differences From Business Strike Coins. Proof Blanks Are Specially Treated, Hand-Polished, And Cleaned To Ensure High-Quality Strikes. The Blanks Are Then Fed Into Presses Fitted With Specially Polished Dies And Struck at Least Twice To Ensure Sharp, High Relief. The Coins Are Then Carefully Packaged To Showcase And Preserve Their Exceptional Finish. Cameo Coins Have Exquisite Frosted Relief. The Dies Are First Blasted With Hard Particles To Create a Frosted Effect. Each Proof Coin Is Minted With Extra Pressure For The Finish Detail, Afterwards They Are Individually Inspected And Are Not Touched Except With Gloved Hands. Even The Air Is Filtered To Exclude a Dust Free Environment. We Have Thousands Of Proof Coins And A Huge Selection Of Coins And Notes In Our Store.

* Search Our Inventory For All Your Collecting Needs And After Pressing Buy It Now For Each Item You Wish To Purchase, Check Out By Then Pressing The Pay Now Button (after The Last Item) To Pay For All Items Combined On The Same Invoice And All Shipped Together.

* If You Want More Then 1 Weeks Time To Check Our Inventory For Additional Items Before You Check Out Please Contact Us With The Contact Seller Feature Thru The Message Board.

* Free Domestic Shipping.

* All Coins Are Handled With Cloth Gloves And Packaged In a 2X2 Protection Holder.

* Your Satisfaction Is Guaranteed Or Your Money Back.

~SHIPPING~

* We Ship Fast As Our Customers Know, In Most Cases Your Order Will Be Processed And On The Way To You Within One Business Day.

* All Items Are Packaged Professionally And With Extreme Care, Secure Shipping Is Our Standard.

* International Orders Are Shipped Either 1st Class International Or Global Priority Mail.

~PAYMENT~

* We Accept All Major Credit Cards Thru Paypal.