Austrian engravers

[Figleaf]

That would be the same Hofmann who designed the side with the denomination of the 5 groschen 1948-1994, I guess? (I haven't received any complaints about boring contributions)

Peter

[Prosit]

There seems to be a bit of uncertainty about that 5 Groschen.....the reverse to the best of my knowledge is by Michel Povolny.  The numeral side is certainly designed from one of Hofmann's drafts but technically may have been completed by someone else.  Whatever.... as far I am concerned, it is his design and yes it is the same Hofmann.  Meaning these tokens were created by the national Mint and not some private manufacturer.  That may not mean anything to most but I can claim to collect "official" tokens.   

Since one of the three tokens is undated that may mean that it was created from two reverse dies....I don't know.....yet


Dale

[Figleaf]

The Austrian Mint doesn't seem to share your doubts. They also mention the 1 and 10 groschen of the same series.

Peter

[Prosit]

Yeah I know and they are probably right.  That paragraph has been in the previous versions of the website.  While you are poking around there take a look at who they say did the reverse of the 1, 5, and 10 Groschen.  I just don't see the diff.

Dale

[Figleaf]

Not sure what you mean. Povolny did the funny side with the Bundesadler (at least, I think it's funny) and seems to have taken over from Hofmann around the 1950's. Frankly, I don't like his style. The sower is pure Hitler/Stalin stuff, bulging muscles and all. There are some much better designs a bit later on. I really like the 5 schilling with the girl's head. It's typical of the country, its conservatism and yet pleasant and soft.

Peter

[Prosit]

I mean look at who the Mint says designed the reverse of the Second Republic, 1, 5 and 10 groschen coin.  It looks to be the same design in all three pictures but they list a different designer for the reverse of the 10 groschen.  Michael Povolny for the 1, 2, 5  and Hofmann for the 10.  I can't see the differnce between the designs.

Dale

[Prosit]

So this was my point that seems to have gotten lost in my ramblings  .

Designers of the First coins of the Second Republic According to the Austrian Mint Site:

One Groschen Front: Adolf Hofmann    Reverse: Michael Povolny

Five Groschen Front: Adolf Hofmann    Reverse: Michael Povolny

Ten Groschen Front: Michael Povolny   Reverse: Adolf Hofmann

Twenty Groschen Front Michael Povolny   Reverse: Beno Rost

Fifty Groschen Front and Reverse  Michael Povolny

One Schilling Front and Reverse  Michael Povolny

That Reverse is pretty much the same and they attribute it to three different designers.  The front of the 1, 5 and 10 Groschen are stylistically the same yet attributed to two different designers.

I think they have the designers wrong (backwards) on the 10 Groschen coin but did Benno Rost really do the reverse of the twenty groschen which is the same as the reverse of the 1, 5 and 10?
So the Austrian Mint website in my mind is not the authority I want them to be, seem to be a few errors.

Dale

[Figleaf]

I see your point. It looks as if at the least they switched some obverses and reverses.

However, if I were a hungry, underpaid engraver at the Austrian mint, when a new coin would come up I'd claim the old Povolny design needed "modernisation" and I'd futz around a bit with the relief and charge them, counting on the emperor's new clothes effect. That would mean that there'd be a bill somewhere in the administration that would "prove" that the design was updated by another artist. Civil servants, being what they are, would never admit to being had.

Peter

[Prosit]

There ia another possibility.  I suspose the stated minters could have executed the master die for those respective coins from a design that they were given by the upper mucks.  In that case who actually created the design?  I suspect that the designers of the 10 Groschen are actually reversed and the 20 Groschen was a tweek job as you say   

Dale