20 ATS #22

Front

Moritz Michael Daffinger (1790–1849), Austrian painter renowned as the foremost miniaturist of the Biedermeier period. He specialized in portrait miniatures on ivory and is celebrated for his delicate watercolor technique and depictions of Viennese society; his works are held in major collections including the Albertina. The note includes the inscription 'WIEN AM 1. OKTOBER 1986' indicating the date of issuance authorization.

Back

The Albertina Museum in Vienna, one of the world's most important collections of graphic art. Housed in a former Habsburg palace, the Albertina contains over one million Old Master prints and 60,000 drawings, including works by Dürer, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Klimt. The building features the equestrian monument to Archduke Albrecht, visible on the left of the depicted view.

History

This note belongs to the 1986 series of Austrian schilling banknotes, issued by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank and in circulation from 1986 until Austria's adoption of the euro on 1 January 2002. The Austrian schilling (ATS) served as Austria's currency from 1925 to 2002 (with an interruption 1938–1945). These notes were demonetized on 28 February 2002, though they can still be exchanged at the Austrian National Bank indefinitely. The 20-schilling denomination honored Moritz Daffinger, reflecting Austria's cultural heritage and prominence in the arts during the Biedermeier era.