New national sides of euro circulation coins
Date: 2008-12-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, commemoration, euro, euro area, issuing of currency, money, technical specification

C 315/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.12.2008

New national sides of euro circulation coins

(2008/C 315/04)

New national sides of the 2-euro commemorative circulation coins issued by the euro-area Member States to celebrate
ten years of economic and monetary union

Euro circulation coins have legal tender status throughout the euro area. The Commission publishes all new
euro coin designs (1) with a view to informing all parties required to handle coins in the course of their
work as well as the public at large. In accordance with the Council conclusions of 8 December 2003 (2),
euro-area Member States and countries that have concluded a Monetary Agreement with the Community
providing for the issuance of euro circulation coins are allowed to issue certain quantities of commemorative
euro circulation coins on condition that only the 2-euro denomination is used. Commemorative coins have
the technical features of normal 2-euro circulation coins, but bear a commemorative design on the national
side.

To celebrate ten years of economic and monetary union and the creation of the euro on 1 January 1999,
Eurogroup Ministers decided that euro-area Member States would strike a 2-euro commemorative coin using
a common design on the national side. Citizens and residents of the European Union were invited to vote
on-line to select this common national design. They choose the design created by Mr G. Stamatopoulos,
sculptor at the Minting Department of the Greek Central Bank.

Issuing countries: Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta,
the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland

Subject of commemoration: Ten years of economic and monetary union (EMU) and the birth of the euro

Factual description of the design: The centre of the coin shows a stylised human figure whose left arm is
prolonged by the euro symbol. The initials ΓΣ of the artist appear below the euro symbol. The name(s) of
the issuing country in the national language(s) appear(s) at the top, while the indication 1999-2009 and the
acronym EMU translated into the national language(s) appear at the bottom.

The outer ring depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.

Approximate issuing date: January 2009

BELGIUM

Legends: BELGIË/BELGIQUE/BELGIEN/EMU 1999-2009

Mintmark: The Mint Master mark and the mintmark appear respectively on the
left and the right hand sides of the country names

Issuing volume: 5 million

Edge lettering: 2 ★★, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted

(1) See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p. 1 for a reference to all national sides that were issued in 2002.
(2) See conclusions of the ‘General Affairs’ Council of 8 December 2003 on changes in the design of national sides of euro

coins, endorsing the Commission Recommendation of 29 September 2003 (OJ L 264, 15.10.2003, p. 38).

10.12.2008

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 315/9

GERMANY

EIRE

GREECE

SPAIN

FRANCE

Legends: BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND/WWU 1999-2009

Mintmark: The mintmark (A, D, F, G or J) appears at the right hand side of the
design

Issuing volume: 30 million

Edge lettering: EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT and the design of the
federal eagle

Legends: éıre/AEA1999-2009 EMU

Mintmark: None

Issuing volume: 5 million maximum

Edge lettering: 2 ★★, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted

Legends: ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ/ΟΝΕ 1999-2009

Mintmark: The mintmark appears at the right hand side of the design

Issuing volume: 4 million

Edge lettering: ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ★

Legends: ESPAÑA/UEM 1999-2009

Mintmark: The mintmark appears at the upper left hand side of the design

Issuing volume: 8 million

Edge lettering: 2 ★★, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted

Legends: RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE/UEM 1999-2009

Mintmark: The mintmark and the engraver's mark appear respectively on the left
and the right hand sides of the bottom inscription

Issuing volume: 10 million

Edge lettering: 2 ★★, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted

C 315/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.12.2008

ITALY

CYPRUS

LUXEMBOURG

MALTA

Legends: REPUBBLICA ITALIANA/UEM 1999-2009

Mintmark: The mintmark ‘R’ appears at the right hand side of the design

Issuing volume: 2,5 million

Edge lettering: 2 ★, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted

Legends: ΚΥΠΡΟΣ KIBRIS/ΟΝΕ 1999-2009

Mintmark: None

Issuing volume: 1 million

Edge lettering:

‘2 ΕΥΡΩ 2 EURO’ repeated twice

Legends: LËTZEBUERG/UEM 1999-2009

Mintmark: The Mint Master mark and the mintmark appear respectively on the
left and the right hand sides of the bottom star

Issuing volume: 1,4 million

Edge lettering: 2 ★★, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.

In accordance with the national law, the coin shows an effigy of the Grand Duke
as a latent image

Legends: MALTA/UEM 1999-2009

Mintmark: The Mint Master mark and the mintmark appear respectively on the
left and the right hand sides of the bottom star

Issuing volume: 700 000

Edge lettering: 2 ★★, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted

THE NETHERLANDS

Legends: NEDERLAND/EMU 1999-2009

Mintmark: The Mint Master mark and the mintmark appear respectively on the
left and the right hand sides of the bottom star

Issuing volume: 5,3 million

Edge lettering: GOD ★ ZIJ ★ MET ★ ONS ★

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 315/11

AUSTRIA

PORTUGAL

SLOVENIA

SLOVAKIA

FINLAND

Legends: REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH/WWU 1999-2009

Mintmark: None

Issuing volume: 5 million

Edge lettering: 2 EURO ★★★, repeated four times, alternately upright and
inverted

Legends: PORTUGAL/UEM 1999-2009

Mintmark: The mintmark appears at the right hand side of the design

Issuing volume: 1,285 million

Edge lettering: Five coats of arms and seven castles equally spaced

Legends: SLOVENIJA/EMU 1999-2009

Mintmark: None

Issuing volume: 1 million

Edge lettering: SLOVENIJA, followed by an engraved dot

Legends: SLOVENSKO/HMÚ 1999-2009

Mintmark: The mintmark appears at the left hand side of the design

Issuing volume: 2,5 million

lettering: SLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA,

Edge
star — linden leaf — star

followed

by

three

symbols:

Legends: SUOMI FINLAND/2009/EMU 1999-2009

Mintmark: The mintmark appears at the upper right hand side of the design

Issuing volume: 1,4 million

Edge lettering: TALOUS- JA RAHALIITTO EMU