Austrian token, what is the story

[Prosit]

Got this Austrian token/medal, bronze, 22mm (a weeeee bit less).  Nice looking item but I don't have a clue about it.  It doesn't scan well.

...For instance, I can collect US quarters 1932-1998 or Newfoundland cents, etc, etc, etc and there is generally one story per coin series...........I collect tokens and medals as personal interest dictates and often there is only one story per piece.

What is this piece's history?

The story is far more important than the item imo, but what is it?


Dale

[Prosit]

Nefver been to Basel btw but would love to go there.

Dale

[translateltd]

Well, one side says "22nd International Coin Fair, Basel 1993" and the other (darn, can't see the image while I type this) "historical striking machine" ... back in a minute after I've looked at the pic again.

[translateltd]

... and "circa 1893", with "Austrian Mint" below left.  So presumably this was struck by the Austrian Mint to mark its participation in the fair.

[Figleaf]

I agree with Martin's conclusion. The object in the centre of the right picture is the black staff from the coat of arms of Basel - Stadt. It features on practically all coins of Basel (until 1826). I had expected that the four cruciform lobes design would have featured on a Basel coin, but I haven't found it.

The press seems to be a hydraulic (or possibly steam) type, with the woman feeding the blanks into it. I am curious about the circle at her feet and the symbol at the edge at 10 o'clock (crossed hammers in a circle?)

Peter

[Figleaf]

To see a picture in a thread while you are writing, either use your browser's "previous page" and "next page" buttons (not sure if this works on a PC also, yo may have to copy what you have already written) or open a second window in your browser, copy/paste the URL of the pic if necessary and position it so that the pic is in view while you type.

Peter

[BC Numismatics]

Dale,
  That is a very nice Austrian token that you've got there.It is interesting that there is a very strong Swiss connection.

Aidan.

[translateltd]

To see a picture in a thread while you are writing, either use your browser's "previous page" and "next page" buttons (not sure if this works on a PC also, yo may have to copy what you have already written) or open a second window in your browser, copy/paste the URL of the pic if necessary and position it so that the pic is in view while you type.

Peter

Thanks, Peter - I realised after I wrote this that I could just have opened a second copy of the thread on a new tab in Firefox and tabbed back and forth between them.

[chrisild]

The "Internationale Münzenmesse" in Basel was the predecessor of what is now the world's biggest coin fair: the "World Money Fair". Until 2005 the IMM/WMF was in Basel; since 2006 it has been in Berlin. There is still a coin show (BMM) in Basel, organized by the same company, but at a smaller scale and without the presence of the international mints.

WMF Berlin: http://www.worldmoneyfair.ch/wmf/english/index.html
BMM Basel: http://www.worldmoneyfair.ch/bmm/index.html

Christian

[africancoins]

I have a similar piece for BASEL 1996 - the 25th (IMM).... the other side also mentions the Austrian Mint with a design that mentions "25 JAHRE" and also includes a simple globe (no map) and a Swiss cross on sheild.

ALSO a slightly larger (22mm) copper coloured piece from "WORLD MONEY FAIR BASEL 2005", one side being all about Warsaw/Polish Mint.

I had been told what sort of thing these were when I got them - though did not know the actual IMM/WMF connection.

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[Prosit]

I am curious about the circle at her feet...
Peter

Sorry for starting this thread and abandonding it...but I had to go out of town to attend a funeral.
The cirlce at the bottom is the stylized gold and black O for Austria...see here..
http://www.austrian-mint.com/cms/start.php

Thanks for all the info!
Dale

[Austrokiwi]

I thought that "O" was the trade mark of Hauptmuenz Wein  ( the Austrian Mint). 

[chrisild]

The stylized "Ö" is the logo of the Austrian Mint. Austria used to have a "Hauptmünzamt" which was a division, sort of, of the Federal Ministry of Finance. About ten years ago, it became the "Münze Österreich", a stock corporation wholly owned by the Austrian central bank OeNB.

Christian

[Prosit]

Actually....I know that.....I misstated myself in posting in a hurry. Sorry!
Dale