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€2 commemorative coins

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Currency

   The reverse side of all €2 coins.
   Enlarge
   The reverse side of all €2 coins.

   €2 commemorative coins are special euro coins minted and issued by
   member states of the Eurozone since 2004 as legal tender in all
   Eurozone member states. The coins typically commemorate the
   anniversaries of historical events or draw attention to current events
   of special importance. As at 17 October 2006, twenty variations of €2
   commemorative coins have been minted — six in 2004, eight in 2005 and
   six in 2006. One more is currently planned to be minted later in 2006.
   €2 commemorative coins have become collectibles.

Regulations and restrictions

   The basis for the commemorative coins derived from a decision of the
   European Council, which repealed the prohibition of changing the
   national obverse sides of euro coins from 1 January 2004 onwards.
   However, a number of recommendations and restrictions still apply.

   Two restrictions concern the design. For one, nothing has changed about
   the fact that euro coins have a common reverse side, so only the
   national obverse sides may be changed. Additionally, the standard
   national obverse sides per se should not be changed before 2008 at the
   earliest, unless the head of state depicted on some of the coins dies
   before then. (This clause already came into effect for Monaco and the
   Vatican City, whose heads of state — Rainier III and Pope John Paul II
   respectively — died in 2005 and whose national obverse sides were
   changed for 2006.)

   Further regulations restrict the frequency and number of commemorative
   coin issues. Each member state shall only issue one commemorative coin
   per year, and it shall only be denominated as a €2 coin. The total
   number of such coins put into circulation per year shouldn't surpass
   the higher of the following two numbers:
     * 0.1 per cent of the total number of €2 coins put into circulation
       by all members of the eurozone. This limit can exceptionally be
       increased to up to 2.0 per cent if the coin commemorates a very
       important and noteworthy event; in this case, the member state
       issuing this higher number of coins should refrain from putting any
       commemorative coins into circulation for the following four years.
     * 5.0 per cent of the total number of €2 coins put into circulation
       by the member state issuing the €2 commemorative coin.

   Another decision added two more guidelines regarding the design of the
   coins. The state issuing a coin should in some way clearly be
   identified on the obverse side, either by stating the full name or a
   clearly identifiable abbreviation of it; and neither name nor the
   denomination of the coin should be repeated on the obverse, as it is
   already featured on the common reverse side.

   These restrictions do not apply retroactively; only new designs — the
   national obverse sides for regular issues of states newly joining the
   euro or of eurozone states which change their design, and €2
   commemorative coins issued from 2006 onwards — are subject to them.

Issues

   ██ three €2 commem. coins issued ██ two €2 commem. coins issued ██ one
   €2 commem. coin issued ██ no €2 commem. coins issued ██ not part of the
   eurozone
   Enlarge
   ██ three €2 commem. coins issued ██ two €2 commem. coins issued ██ one
   €2 commem. coin issued ██ no €2 commem. coins issued ██ not part of the
   eurozone

   As of February 2006, ten countries have issued €2 commemorative coins
   (Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, San
   Marino, Spain and the Vatican City), with Greece being the first
   country to issue this type of coin. Five eurozone countries have not
   yet issued such coins (France, Ireland, Monaco, the Netherlands and
   Portugal).

   The face value of the coins is typically less than their intrinsic
   value of between €3 and €12. The exceptions are San Marino and the
   Vatican City, where coins from the former are regularly sold for
   between €30 and €40, while coins from the latter are very rarely
   obtained for less than €100.

   Issued designs are made public in the Official Journal of the European
   Union (references to these publications are given in the tables below).

   Note: In heraldry, directions are often described as they would appear
   to the bearer of a coat of arms, rather than as they would appear to
   the viewer. Therefore, the following descriptions will use "facing to
   the left" when it would appear to the layman that the person depicted
   is facing to the right.

2004 coinage

   Image Country Feature Volume Date

                                 Greece 2004

   Flag of Greece  Greece Summer Olympics in Athens 2004 50 million coins
   May 2004
   Description: The Discobolus (a classical Greek sculpture by Myron) is
   depicted in the centre of the coin. To the right of it is the logo of
   the Olympic games (ATHENS 2004) and the five Olympic Rings, while to
   the left the denomination of the coin in Greek is given (2 ΕΥΡΩ). The
   twelve stars of the European Union surround the design. The year mark
   is split around the star in the bottom centre (20*04), and the mint
   mark is to the upper right of the statue's head.

                                Finland 2004

   Flag of Finland  Finland Fifth Enlargement of the European Union in
   2004 1 million coins July 2004
   Description: The coin's design resembles a stylised pillar from which
   ten sprouts grow upwards. This is a metaphorical theme: The ten sprouts
   represent the growth of the European Union (i.e., the 2004 enlargement
   which added ten new member states), while the pillar represents the
   foundation for the growth. Near the bottom of the coin, below the
   pillar, the word EU is written, and together with the left side of the
   pillar, representing the Greek small letter "ρ" (rho), it reads "euro".
   The twelve stars of the European Union adorn the outer ring together
   with the year mark, which is at the top of the ring.

                               Luxembourg 2004

   Flag of Luxembourg  Luxembourg Effigy and Monogram of Grand Duke Henri
   2.49 million coins 26 July 2004
   Description: On the right side of the centre part of the coin, the
   effigy of Grand Duke Henri is depicted, looking to the left. The left
   side displays his monogram (the letter H topped with a crown). The
   twelve stars of the European Union are also on the left side of the
   inner part, surrounding the monogram in a semi-circular form. The year
   mark, the mint mark and the engraver's initials are written in circular
   shape at the top of the outer ring, together with the word LËTZEBUERG
   ("Luxembourg" in Luxembourgish), while the words HENRI — Grand-Duc de
   Luxembourg appear at the bottom of the ring.

                                 Italy 2004

   Flag of Italy  Italy Fifth Decade of the World Food Programme 16
   million coins 13 December 2004
   Description: In the centre of the coin is a globe, tilted to the left.
   Three ears emerge from behind the globe, reaching out to cross the
   outer ring; these are maize, rice and wheat, representing the world's
   basic sources of nourishment. The letters R and I, superimposed over
   one another, are to the left of the globe (representing Repubblica
   Italiana), and below them are the engraver's ( Uliana Pernazza)
   initials (a combination of the letters U and P). The mint mark (R) is
   to the upper right of the globe, the year mark is below it, and the
   twelve stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer
   ring, grouped into three batches of four stars each, separated by the
   three ears.

                               San Marino 2004

   Flag of San Marino  San Marino Bartolomeo Borghesi 110,000 coins 16
   December 2004
   Description: The central piece of this coin is a bust of the famous
   historian and numismatist Bartolomeo Borghesi. It is surrounded by
   numerous inscriptions in the centre of the coin: SAN MARINO to the left
   of the bust, BARTOLOMEO BORGHESI, the mint mark (R) and the engraver's
   initials (E.L.F.) to the right of it. On the outer ring, the coin
   displays the twelve stars of the European Union and the year mark
   (bottom centre).

                              Vatican City 2004

   Flag of Vatican City  Vatican City 75^th Anniversary of the Foundation
   of the Vatican City State 85,000 coins 16 December 2004
   Description: The central part of the coin depicts a schematic
   representation of the perimeter walls of the Vatican City with St.
   Peter's Basilica in the foreground, together with the inscriptions 75^o
   ANNO DELLO STATO (to the right), 1929–2004 and the mint mark (R) (both
   to the left). In addition to these, the name of the designer (VEROI)
   and the initials of the engraver (L.D.S. INC.) are written in the lower
   left in smaller print. The outer ring is adorned by the twelve stars of
   the European Union and the inscription CITTÀ DEL VATICANO.

2005 coinage

   Image Country Feature Volume Date

                               Luxembourg 2005

   Flag of Luxembourg  Luxembourg 50^th Birthday of Grand Duke Henri, 5^th
   Anniversary of his Accession to the Throne and 100^th Anniversary of
   the Death of Grand Duke Adolphe 2.8 million coins 15 February 2005
   Description: In the centre of the coin, the effigies of the Grand Dukes
   Henri and Adolphe are displayed, both looking to the left, with Henri's
   superimposed on Adolphe's. The inscription GRANDS-DUCS DE LUXEMBOURG
   appears above the effigies, while the inscriptions HENRI *1955 and
   ADOLPHE †1905 are written below the respective effegies. The outer ring
   of the coin contains the twelve stars of the European Union, placed
   between the letters of the word LËTZEBUERG and the year mark, which is
   centred below the effigies positioned between the engraver's initial
   (S) on the right and the mint mark on the left.

                                Austria 2005

   Flag of Austria  Austria 50^th Anniversary of the Austrian State Treaty
   7 million coins 11 May 2005
   Description: In the centre of the coin is a depiction of the seals and
   signatures of the Austrian State Treaty, signed by the foreign
   ministers of the Allied occupying forces ( Vyacheslav Molotov for the
   Soviet Union, John Foster Dulles for the United States, Harold
   Macmillan for the United Kingdom and Antoine Pinay for France), the
   High Commissioners of the four sectors, as well as the Foreign Minister
   of Austria ( Leopold Figl) on 15 May 1955. The inscription 50 JAHRE
   STAATSVERTRAG is above the seals, while the year mark is below it; in
   the background, vertical stripes serve as a heraldic depiction of
   Austria's national flag ( red- white-red). The outer ring contains the
   twelve stars of the European Union.

                                Belgium 2005

   Flag of Belgium  Belgium Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union 6 million
   coins 20 May 2005
   Description: In the centre of the coin, the effigies of Grand Duke
   Henri of Luxembourg and King Albert II of the Belgians are depicted,
   looking right. The engraver's initials (LL) are in the lower left,
   while the year mark is below the effigies. On the outer circle, the
   twelve stars of the European Union are displayed, along with the mint
   mark on the bottom, the monogram of Grand-Duke Henri to the left and
   the monogram of King Albert II to the right.

                                 Spain 2005

   Flag of Spain  Spain 4^th Centenary of the first edition of Miguel de
   Cervantes' El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha 8 million
   coins 30 June 2005
   Description: The centre of the coin displays Don Quixote holding a
   lance, with the windmills from one of his most well-known escapades in
   the background. The inscription ESPAÑA is impressed into the surface of
   the coin to the right of the image, with the mint mark (an M topped by
   a crown) below. The twelve stars of the European Union are placed on
   the outer ring, with the four on the left side impressed into the
   surface of the coin, as well, and the year mark placed between three of
   the stars (*20*05*) at the bottom.

                               San Marino 2005

   Flag of San Marino  San Marino World Year of Physics 2005 130,000 coins
   14 October 2005
   Description: The centre of the coin contains a free interpretation of
   the allegorical painting of Galileo Galilei known as La fisica antica
   or The Study of the Planets. The year mark is inscribed below a globe
   standing on a desk. The mint mark (R) is to the right of the image,
   while the engraver’s initials (LDS) appear on the left. The inscription
   SAN MARINO is aligned in a semicircle above the image, while the
   inscription ANNO MONDIALE DELLA FISICA forms another semicircle below
   it. The outer ring bears the twelve stars of the European Union which
   are separated by the outer edges of a stylised atom depicted in the
   background of the entire coin.

                                Finland 2005

   Flag of Finland  Finland 60^th Anniversary of the Establishment of the
   United Nations and 50^th Anniversary of Finland's UN Membership 2
   million coins 25 October 2005
   Description: The centre of the coin contains part of a jigsaw puzzle
   showing a dove of peace. On the bottom of the centre part, the
   inscription FINLAND — UN and the year mark is displayed; the artist's
   initial (K) appears above the last digit of the year mark, while the
   mint mark (M) is between the inscription and the dove. The twelve stars
   of the European Union adorn the outer ring.

                                 Italy 2005

   Flag of Italy  Italy 1^st Anniversary of the Signing of the European
   Constitution 18 million coins 29 October 2005
   Description: The centre of the coin features Europa and the bull
   (Zeus), together with the European Constitution; Europa is holding a
   pen over it, symbolising its signing. The mint mark (R) is to the upper
   right of the image, the engraver's ( Maria Carmela Colaneri) initials
   (MCC) to the lower right, and the year mark is to the upper left. The
   monogram of the Italian Republic (RI) is at the bottom of the centre
   part, slightly to the right. The outer ring features the inscription
   COSTITUZIONE EUROPEA, forming almost a full semicircle, while the
   remainder of the outer ring is taken up by the twelve stars of the
   European Union.

                              Vatican City 2005

   Flag of Vatican City  Vatican City 20^th World Youth Day, held in
   Cologne in August 2005 100,000 coins 6 December 2005
   Description: The centre of the coin contains the Cologne Cathedral and
   a comet passing by above it. The inscription XX GIORNATA MONDIALE DELLA
   GIOVENTÙ is written in the upper part of the centre, separated by the
   tail of the comet and two of the cathedral's spires, one of which
   extends into the outer ring. The outer ring contains the inscription
   CITTÀ DEL VATICANO in the lower half and the twelve stars of the
   European Union in the upper half, with the year mark and the mint mark
   (R) separating them in the top centre.

2006 coinage

   Image Country Feature Volume Date

                               Luxembourg 2006

   Flag of Luxembourg  Luxembourg 25^th Birthday of Hereditary Grand Duke
   Guillaume 1.1 million coins 1 February 2006
   Description: The coin depicts the effigy of Grand Duke Henri on the
   left side of the inner part, superimposed on the effigy of Hereditary
   Grand Duke Guillaume on the right side; both are looking to the left.
   The year mark appears below the effigies, flanked by the letter S and
   the mint mark. The inscription LËTZEBUERG appears above the effigies
   along the upper edge of the inner part of the coin. The twelve stars of
   the European Union surround the design on the outer ring of the coin.

                                Germany 2006

   Flag of Germany  Germany Holstentor in Lübeck ( Schleswig-Holstein)
   First of the Bundesländer series 30 million coins 3 February 2006
   Description: The coin shows the Holstentor in Lübeck in the centre
   part, with the inscription SCHLESWIG–HOLSTEIN below the gate at the
   bottom of the centre part. The mint mark is to the right, while the
   designer's initials (HH) are to the left. The inscription
   BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND is written in a semicircle in the lower part
   of the outer ring, and the year mark at the top; the twelve stars of
   the European Union are positioned between the year mark and the
   inscription at the bottom, in two groups of six stars each.

                                 Italy 2006

   Flag of Italy  Italy Winter Olympics in Turin 2006 40 million coins 10
   February 2006
   Description: The coin depicts a racing skier and the visitor attraction
   of Turin, the Mole Antonelliana (which incidentally is also depicted on
   the Italian 2 cent coin), together with a large number of inscriptions:
   above the skier's head, GIOCHI INVERNALI ("Winter Games"); below the
   tower, the name of the host city TORINO; beside the skier's left thigh,
   the engraver's intials (MCC); also to the left of the skier, the year
   mark (written vertically); and finally, to the left of the tower, the
   monogram of the Italian Republic (RI) and the mint mark (R). The twelve
   stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring of
   the coin.

                                Belgium 2006

   Flag of Belgium  Belgium Renovation of the Atomium in Brussels 5
   million coins 10 April 2006
   Description: The coin shows the Atomium in the centre part, with the
   mint marks to the lower left and right of it. The designer's initials
   (LL) are to the right. The letter B for Belgium is written at the top
   of the outer ring, and the year mark at the bottom; the twelve stars of
   the European Union are positioned between the year mark and the
   inscription at the top, in two groups of six stars each.

                                Finland 2006

   Flag of Finland  Finland 1^st Centenary of the Introduction of
   Universal and Equal Suffrage 2.5 million coins 4 October 2006
   Description: The coin shows two stylised faces in the centre part, one
   male and the other female; they are separated by a thin curved line.
   The two mint marks appear to the right of each face. On the right side,
   the date of the introduction of universal and equal suffrage in Finland
   (1. 10. 1906) is inscribed, while the left side of the coin contains
   the year mark and the country abbreviation (20 FI 06). The twelve stars
   of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring of the
   coin.

                               San Marino 2006

   Flag of San Marino  San Marino 500^th Anniversary of the Death of
   Christopher Columbus 120,000 coins 17 October 2006
   Description: A portrait of Christopher Columbus (looking to the left)
   before a background of the three caravels (the Niña, the Pinta and the
   Santa María), which he used in his first voyage across the Atlantic
   Ocean in 1492, forms the central part of the coin's design. At the top
   of the inner part is the inscription SAN MARINO together with a compass
   rose, in the centre is the mint mark R, and at the bottom is a
   cartouche containing the inscription 1506 — 2006 and the initials of
   the designer (LDS). The twelve stars of the European Union surround the
   design on the outer ring of the coin.

   Six €2 commemorative coins have been released in 2006 as at 17 October
   2006, and one more state has announced it will do so over the course of
   the year. The Vatican City is going to issue its third coin,
   commemorating the 500^th anniversary of the Swiss Guard, on 9 November
   2006.

2007 coinage

   Apart from the second coin of the German Bundesländer series, there are
   plans for a common €2 commemorative coin issued by all thirteen member
   states of the eurozone to be issued in March, commemorating the 50^th
   anniversary of the signature of the Treaties of Rome. Furthermore,
   Portugal will issue their first coin to commemorate their presidency of
   the Council of the European Union and San Marino will issue their
   fourth coin in September to commemorate Giuseppe Garibaldi's 200^th
   birthday.

German Bundesländer series

   Germany started the commemorative coin series Die 16 Bundesländer der
   Bundesrepublik Deutschland (The 16 States of the Federal Republic of
   Germany) in 2006, which will continue until 2021. The year in which the
   coin for a specific state is issued coincides with that state's
   Presidency of the Bundesrat. The first coin was issued in 2006:

             Year Number       State               Design
             2006   1    Schleswig-Holstein Holstentor in Lübeck

   The other fifteen coins will be issued in the following years; note
   that some designs are not yet finalised and still subject to change.
   (Originally, the designs for Hamburg and Bavaria were to be the
   Landungsbrücken ( German Wikipedia article) and the Munich
   Frauenkirche, respectively.)

                          Year Number State Design
            2007 2 Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Schwerin Castle
                        2008 3 Hamburg St. Michaelis
      2009 4 Saarland Ludwigskirche in Saarbrücken ( German Wikipedia
                                  article)
             2010 5 Bremen City Hall ( German Wikipedia article)
               2011 6 North Rhine-Westphalia Cologne Cathedral
                    2012 7 Bavaria Schloss Neuschwanstein
                  2013 8 Baden-Württemberg Maulbronn Abbey
      2014 9 Lower Saxony Hanover City Hall ( German Wikipedia article)
                  2015 10 Hesse Römer in Frankfurt am Main
                  2016 11 Saxony Zwinger Palace in Dresden
              2017 12 Rhineland-Palatinate Porta Nigra in Trier
                          2018 13 Berlin Reichstag
                2019 14 Saxony-Anhalt Cathedral of Magdeburg
                2020 15 Thuringia Wartburg Castle in Eisenach
               2021 16 Brandenburg Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam

   The series is similar to the United States' State Quarters series,
   which issues coin at shorter intervals and will continue until 2008,
   having started in 1999; the longer timespan and shorter intervals are a
   consequence of the larger number of states (currently fifty).
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   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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