Specifically the Austrian Mint. Honestly, I haven't researched this and will. Has anyone bought product from them in the U.S.? I went to their website and what little I searched around for was not to be had. It seemed all of their products, at least what I saw, were sold out. So, what experiences(when buying from the U.S.) with foreign mints can anyone tell me. The Austrian Mint has put out some exceptional coinage.
Not exactly what you want, but here's a US site that has a few Austrian and other European coins. http://rsmint.com/austria.aspx
The only foreign mint that I wanted to buy from was the Korean Mint, Komsco. When I looked at their website, all they really sold were medals, and other curios. It seems that they rely on 3rd party retailers to sell their commemorative coins and mint sets. Yeah, as with Austria, it seems that Komsco is not very interested in doing retail sales, unlike the UK, Canadian ,or US Mint.
The Austrian Mint sells many coins directly, and quite a few are still available. These are the silver pieces for example. 60 products are listed, maybe one fourth is sold out. No idea why that could be considered "uninterested". Then again, I am in the European Union; maybe they have a different policy when it comes to non-EU customers. The Dutch mint for example does ... Christian
The Austrian Mint proper, seems to just sell curios and collectors coins (not true circulation coinage). In fact I am saddened by their issue of a Klimt coin (Judith II) which is pornographic about a Biblical character, the nerve!. [MY opinion] Anyways, you will need to go to third party dealers to find good circulation coinage, as mlov33 mentioned. Here is a link to a few for sale: http://www.dealtimeshops.com/coins-and-paper-money/austrian-coins/coin-austria
My experience with the Austrian Mint as a US buyer was that you needed a "Verified by Visa" card to order. I did not have one of these credit cards, so I wasn't able to place an order. One might be able to call or place an order in a different manner, but I didn't try since I found the coin I wanted elsewhere. Also, I have bought from the Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris) and Perth Mint (Australia) without any issues.
I think this may the be the issue. Verification of one's credit or funding over international boundaries for us "individuals" seems to have gotten a lot harder in the past 15 years. Or maybe it's just the business cost of doing these kinds of transactions? I know that it is incredibly easier to purchase items at the Komsco's retail site (and from pretty much every other retailer in Korea!) if you have an account that can draw funds from a bank located in S. Korea.
As I wrote, I picked the silver coins category as an example. Of course you won't find circulation pieces in that group. These, for example, are the KMS (coin sets) - 10 products listed, 8 available, 2 unavailable. The Klimt pieces, by the way (that is a series), basically reproduce selected Klimt works. Don't like them? Don't buy them. Christian
This may take us away from coins but yes, I agree. My pet peeve in the US is gas stations that require a ZIP code when you pay at the pump. Would never work with my German Visa card. Then I also got an Amex card and, surprise, the one time I had to enter the ZIP code, entering my "PLZ" worked. Hooray! On the other hand, Americans who travel to Europe will still (often) have chipless credit cards. In most European countries those will not work or have limited functionality. Things may be similar with online purchases ... Christian
After going back to the Austrian Mint it was just the category of coins I was looking for that was sold out. The silver/niobium series of coins is sold out completely. I had saw some of the Klimt pieces before going to the mint site. Those also interested me. I like a lot of what the Austrian mint has to offer. I'll try to order something from them in the near future. Thanks for the replies.
Oh, I see - yes, the niobium pieces tend to sell out quickly. The Austrian Mint will usually offer a couple online (and sell some to dealers), then they will be "temporarily out of stock", then after some time they may show up in the web store again, only to be "gone" soon afterwards ... Christian
Yes my true intentions were revealed. But, after I went to the page your link supplied I saw a train series that I now want. If I find a way to buy from them I'll need a second job.
