Council Regulation (EC) No 975/98 of 3 May 1998 on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation
Date: 1998-05-03
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: euro, issuing of currency, money, technical specification

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Official Journal of the European Communities

11. 5. 98

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 975/98

of 3 May 1998

on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for
circulation

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

of amounts expressed in euro and cent to be made
easily;

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

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the European Monetary
Institute (2),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in
Article 189c of the Treaty (3),

the changeover

(1) Whereas, at the meeting of the European Council in
Madrid on 15 and 16 December 1995, the scenario
for
to the single currency was
adopted which provides for introduction of euro
coins by 1 January 2002 at the latest; whereas the
precise date for the issue of euro coins will be
decided when the Council adopts its regulation on
the introduction of the euro immediately after the
decision on the Member States adopting the euro as
the single currency has been taken as early as
possible in 1998;

(2) Whereas, according to Article 105a(2) of the Treaty,
Member States may issue coins subject to approval by
the European Central Bank (ECB) of the volume of
the issue and the Council may, acting in accordance
with the procedure referred to in Article 189c and
after consulting the ECB, adopt measures to har-
monise the denominations and technical specifica-
tions 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 in-
dicated that euro banknotes will range from EUR 5
to EUR 500; whereas the denominations of bank-
notes and coins will need to allow for cash payments

(1) OJ C 208, 9. 7. 1997, p. 5 and OJ C 386, 20. 12. 1997, p. 12.
(2) Opinion delivered on 25 June 1997 (OJ C 205, 5. 7. 1997, p.

18).

(3) Opinion of the European Parliament of 6 November 1997
(OJ C 358, 24. 11. 1997, p. 24), Council common position of
20 November 1997 (OJ C 23, 23. 1. 1998, p. 1) and Decision
of the European Parliament of 17 December 1997 (OJ C 14,
19. 1. 1998).

(4) Whereas

the mint directors of

the Community
received a mandate from the Council to study and
for a European single coinage
elaborate a report
system;
report
whereas
in November 1996 followed by a revised report
in February 1997 indicating the denominations and
technical specifications (diameter, thickness, weight,
colour, composition and edge) of the new euro coins;

submitted

they

a

(5) Whereas the new European single coinage system
should induce public confidence and entail techno-
logical innovations that would establish it as a secure,
reliable and efficient system;

(6) Whereas the acceptance of the new system by the
public is one of the main objectives of the Com-
munity coinage system; whereas public confidence in
the new system would depend on the physical
characteristics of the euro coins, which should be as
user-friendly as possible;

(7) Whereas consultations with consumer associations,
the European Blind Union and representatives of the
vending machines industry have been carried out to
take into account the specific requirements of im-
portant categories of coin users; whereas, in order to
ensure a smooth changeover to the euro and to facil-
itate 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
if there is a link between their diameter and face
value;

(9) Whereas certain special security features are needed
in order 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 layers
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

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of European monetary union between Member States
and could significantly increase the degree of ac-
ceptance of the coins by European citiziens;

desirable to reduce the nickel content of coins when
moving to a new coinage system;

(11) Whereas on 30 June 1994 the European Parliament
and the Council adopted Directive 94/27/EC (1),
which limited the use of nickel in certain products
in recognition that nickel could be cause of allergies
under certain conditions; whereas coins are not
covered by that Directive; whereas, nevertheless,
some Member States already use a nickel-free alloy
called Nordic Gold in their current coinage system
seems
for

reasons of public health; whereas

it

(12) Whereas it

is therefore appropriate to follow in
princple the proposal of the aforesaid mint directors
and to adapt it only to the extent necessary to take
into account in particular the specific requirements
of important categories of coin users and the need to
reduce the use of nickel in coins;

(13) Whereas of all prescribed technical specifications for
euro coins, only the value for thickness is of an in-
dicative nature, since actual
thickness of a coin
depends on prescribed diameter and weight,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

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

Face
value
(euro)

2

1

Diameter
in mm

Thickness
in mm (1)

Weight
in gr

Shape

Colour

Composition

Edge

25,75

1,95

8,5

Round

23,25

2,125

7,5

Round

External part:
white

Internal
yellow

part:

External part:
yellow

Internal
white

part:

Copper-nickel
(Cu75Ni25)

Edge
Fine milled

lettering

Three-layers:
nickel-brass/nickel/nickel-brass
CuZn20Ni5/Ni12/CuZn20Ni5

Nickel-brass
(CuZn20Ni5)

Interrupted
milled

Three-layers:
Cu75Ni25/Ni7/Cu75Ni25

0,50

24,25

1,69

7

Round

Yellow

Nordic Gold
Cu89Al5Zn5Sn1

Coarse milled

0,20

22,25

1,63

5,7

‘Spanish
flower’ shape

Yellow

Nordic Gold
Cu89Al5Zn5Sn1

Plain

0,10

19,75

1,51

4,1

Round

Yellow

0,05

21,25

1,36

3,9

Round

0,02

18,75

1,36

3

Round

Red

Red

Nordic Gold
Cu89Al5Zn5Sn1

Coarse milled

Copper-covered steel

Smooth

Copper-covered steel

Smooth with a
groove

0,01

16,25

1,36

2,3

Round

Red

Copper-covered steel

Smooth

(1) The values relating to thickness are of an indicative nature.

(1) OJ L 188, 22. 7. 1994, p. 1.

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This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 1999.

Article 2

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States, in accordance with the Treaty, subject to Article 109k(1) and Protocols 11 and 12.

Done at Brussels, 3 May 1998.

For the Council

The President

G. BROWN