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The Austrian Mint today, October 14, launched its "Myths, Treasures, and Legends" series with a coin that explores the boundary between history and faith. Entitled "Symbols of the Divine," the 100-euro gold coin features three artifacts from the Imperial Treasury in Vienna: the Holy Lance, relics of the True Cross, and the agate cup once identified with the Holy Grail.
Minted by Münze Österreich in 986 fine gold and Proof quality, it has a mintage of 20,000 pieces. Its design creates a dialogue between the objects and the religious narrative that gave them meaning: one side presents the relics and the other evokes the Crucifixion.
Relics and their significance in imperial tradition
The selected pieces allow us to understand how a relic could acquire a value that went far beyond its material. For sovereigns, possessing objects linked to the Passion of Christ also meant affirming that their authority enjoyed divine protection. The Imperial Treasury in Vienna preserves evidence of this relationship between devotion, the representation of power, and beliefs transmitted over centuries.
Three objects, three stories
The Holy Lance. The piece preserved in Vienna is an 8th-century Carolingian lance, later modified. Its interpretation changed over time: it was linked to Constantine and Saint Maurice before being identified, during the 13th century, with the Lance of Longinus. The metal element at its center was also believed to be one of the nails from the Crucifixion. Such associations made it a symbol of imperial legitimacy, even attributed with the power to bring about military victories.
The relics of the True Cross. The coin shows the fragments venerated as remains of the cross of Christ, contained in a crucifix that the mint dates to after 1350. Tradition linked them to his blood and to the protection granted to those who possessed them.
The agate cup. Carved in antiquity from a single block, including the handles, it became famous for a phenomenon in its veining: under certain lighting conditions, the veins appeared to form the letters "XRISTO." This interpretation contributed to its identification with the Holy Grail. In 1564, the heirs of Ferdinand I declared it an inalienable possession of the House of Austria, along with the supposed unicorn horn, which was, in reality, a narwhal tusk.
These are religious associations and historical interpretations of these objects, whose importance also lies in the beliefs they inspired. The coin recovers this imagery and makes it the common thread between its two sides.
Obverse: the pieces of the Imperial Treasury
The obverse features the Holy Lance in the foreground. Behind it appear the crucifix containing the relics of the True Cross and the agate cup. The inscriptions "REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH", the year 2026, and the value of 100 euros complete the design.
The reverse depicts Christ crucified and the blood flowing from his side, collected in a cup. To the left is Longinus with the lance. The scene visually explains the traditional link between the objects on the obverse and the Passion.
Technical specifications
Country Austria
Year 2026
Face value 100 euros
Metal 986 fine gold
Total weight 15.78 g
Fine gold content 15.55 g (½ troy ounce)
Diameter 30 mm
Quality Proof
Design Helmut Andexlinger, Rebecca Koini and Kathrin Kuntner
Print run 20,000 copies
Date of issue October 14, 2026
Presentation and new series
The coin is delivered in the classic case with a numbered certificate of authenticity and outer sleeve.
Five gold issues · 2026–2030
2026
Symbols of the divine
2027
The Emperor's Bible
2028
The Golden Fleece
2029
The Legend of the Unicorn
2030
The Mystique of Death
A journey through the objects and stories that fueled the religious and mythical universe of the House of Austria.
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