Amended proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins
Date: 1997-11-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Economic and Monetary Union, European Monetary Institute, euro, single monetary policy, technical specification

S ««fctsfe 

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  14.11.1997 
COM(97)615 final 

97/ 0154 (SYN) 

Amended proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 

on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins 

(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) 
of the EC-Treaty) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

Pursuant to  the  opinion  expressed  by the European Parliament  in the framework of the  co 
the  Commission  has  revised  its  original 
operation  procedure  according  to  Article  189c, 
proposal to modify recital 4, add four new recitals 5, 6,  8 and 10. 

Recital 4 has been modified to clarify  that according to their mandate the EC Mint Directors 
elaborated  a technical  report  on the  denominations  and technical  specifications  of  the  euro 
coins, which served as a basis to the formal proposal presented by the Commission  according 
to the legislative procedure. 

The  new  Recitals  5  and  6  stress  the  underlying  aims  of  the  coin  system  proposed  by  the 
Commission.  The denominations and technical  specifications  proposed  aim at inducing public 
confidence,  entailing technological  innovation and establishing  a secure,  reliable and  efficient 
system. 

Recital  8  stresses  one  of  the  main  visual  and  tactile  characteristics  which  have  been  taken 
into account to ensure easy distinction between coins. 

Recital  10 refers to the coin design and  clarifies  the underlying  aim of having  one  common 
face and one face showing a national feature on the coins. 

Article  1 has been modified to correct some transcriptions errors in the original proposal  (i.e. 
correction  of  the  diameter  of  the  5  cent  coin  to  21.25  mm  (formerly  21.75  mm)  and  the 
weight of the  1 cent coin to 2.3 gr. (formerly 2.2 gr.)). 

Amended Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  ( EQ 

on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  treaty  establishing  the  European  Community,  and  in  particular 
Article  105a (2) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank, 

In cooperation with the European Parliament, 

(1)  Whereas,  at  the  meeting  of  the  European  Council  in  Madrid  on  15  and  16 
December  1995  the  scenario  for  the  changeover  to  the  single  currency  was 
adopted which provides for introduction of coins in euro by 1  January 2002 at the 
latest; 

(2)  Whereas  Article  105a  (2)  of  the  Treaty  states  that  "Member  States  may  issue 
coins  subject  to  approval  by the  ECB  of the  volume  of  the  issue.  The  Council 
may, acting in accordance with the procedure referred  to in Article  189c and  after 
consulting  the  ECB,  adopt  measures  to  harmonize  the  denominations  and 
technical specifications  of all coins intended for circulation to the extent necessary 
to permit their smooth circulation within the Community"; 

(3)  Whereas the European Monetary  Institute has indicated  that  euro banknotes will 
range from  5 euro to 500 euro; whereas the denominations of banknotes and coins 
will need to allow that cash payments of amounts expressed  in euro and cent can 
be made easily; 

(4)  Whereas the EC Mint Directors  were mandated  to  study  and  elaborate  a  report 
for  a  European  single  coinage  system;  whereas  they  submitted  a  report  in 
November  1996  then  a  revised  report  in  February  1997  indicating  the 
denominations  and  technical  specifications  (diameter,  thickness,  weight,  colour, 
composition and edge) of the new euro coins. 

3 

(5)  Whereas the new European single coinage system should induce public confidence 
and  entail  technological  innovations  that would  establish it  as  a secure,  reliable 
and an efficient system. 

(6)  Whereas  the  acceptance  of  the  new  system  by  the  public  is  one  of  the  main 
objective  of the EC coinage  syste; whereas public confidence  in the new system 
would depend on the phisical characteristics of the euro coins, which should be as 
user friendly as posssible. 

(7)  Whereas  consultations  with  consumers  associations,  the  European  Blind  Union 
and representatives  of  the  vending  machines  industry  have  been  carried  out  to 
take into account the specific requirements of important categories of coins users; 
whereas,  in  order  to  ensure  a  smooth  changeover  to  the  euro  and  facilitate 
acceptance  of the new  coinage  systems by users,  easy  distinction between  coins 
through visual and tactile characteristics will need to be guaranteed; 

(8)  Whereas  the  new  euro  coins  will  be  more  readily  distinguishable  and  easier  to 
become accustomed to it if there is a link between their diameter and face value. 

(9)  Whereas some special security features are needed to reduce the scope for  fraud 
for  the  1  and  2  euro  given  their  high  value;  whereas  the  use  of  a  technique 
whereby  coins  are  made  in  three  layer  and  the  combination  of  two  different 
colours  in  the  coin  are  considered  to  be  the  most  efficient  security  features 
available today; 

(10) Whereas giving  the coins  one European and one national  side is  an appropriate 
expression of the idea of European monetary union between Member  States and 
could  substantially  increase  the  degree  of  acceptance  of  the  coins  by European 
citizens; 

(11) Whereas in 1994  the Council and the European Parliament adopted  a  Directive 
(94/27/CE) limiting the use of nickel in certain products in recognition that nickel 
could  be  a  cause  of  allergies  under  certain  conditions;  whereas  coins  are  not 
covered by this Directive; whereas nevertheless some Member States already use 
a nickel-free  alloy called Nordic Gold in their current coinage system for reasons 
of public health; whereas it seems desirable to reduce the nickel content of coins 
when moving to a new coinage system, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Anicjei 

The first series of euro coins will include eight deoominaEions in the range from 1  cent 
to 2 euro with the following technical specifications; 

Face 
value 
(euro) 

Diameter 
in mm. 

Thickness 
in mm. 

Weight 
ingr. 

Shape 

Colour 

Composition 

Edge 

2 

25.75 

1.95 

8.5 

Round 

Ext.part: 

white 

Int.part: 

yellow 

1 

23.25 

2.125 

7.5 

Round 

Ext.part: 

yellow 

Int.part: 

White 

Copper-nickel 
(Cu75Ni25) 

three-layer 

Edge lettering 

Fine milled 

Nickel-brass/Nickel/ Nickel-
brass 
CuZn20Ni5/Ni 12/CuZn20Ni5 

Nickel-brass 
(CuZn20Ni5) 

three-layer 

Interrupted 
milled 

Cu75Ni25/Ni7/Cu75Ni25 

0.50 

24.25 

1.69 

7 

Round 

Yellow 

Nordic Gold 

Coarse 
milled 

Cu89A15Zn5Snl 

0.20 

22.25 

1.63 

5.7 

"Spanish 
flower" 
shape 

Yellow 

Nordic Gold 

Plain 

Cu89A15Zn5Snl 

0.10 

19.75 

1.51 

4.1 

Round 

Yellow 

Nordic Gold 

Coarse 
milled 

Cu89A15Zn5Snl 

0.05 

21.25 

0.02 

18.75 

1.41 

1.36 

3.9 

3 

Round 

Red 

Copper covered steel 

Smooth 

Round 

Red 

Copper covered steel 

Smooth with a 
groove 

0.01 

16.25 

1.32 

2.3 

Round 

Red 

Copper covered steel 

Smooth 

This  Regulation shall enter into force on 1  January 1999. 

Article 2 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(97) 615  final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

01  06  09 

Catalogue number  : CB-CO-97-631-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-27727-4 

Office  for Official Publications of the European Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg