Austria | 5 Schilling

Madonna of the Basilica of Mariazell. This 48-centimeter-tall statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, carved from linden wood, is the true shrine of Mariazell. It dates from the second half of the 13th century and is dressed in the so-called “Liebfrauenkleid” (Our Lady’s Dress), a richly embroidered cloak with golden fringes. “Magna Mater Austriae” (Great Mother of Austria) is the name given to the Virgin Mary because of her repeated consecration of Austria, which was intended to place the country under her special protection.