NEW NATIONAL SIDE OF EURO CIRCULATION COINS

(2004/C 298/02)

National side of the new EUR 2 commemorative circulation coin issued by the Republic of San Marino

Euro circulation coins have legal tender status throughout the euro area. With a view to informing the parties professionally handling coins and the public at large, the Commission publishes all new euro coin designs (1). In accordance with the relevant Council conclusions of 8 December 2003 (2), 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 under the condition that only a single new coin design at most is issued per country and per year and that the EUR 2 denomination is used. These coins correspond to the technical features of normal euro circulation coins, but bear a commemorative feature on the obverse national side.

Issuing State: Republic of San Marino.

Commemorative feature: Bartolomeo Borghesi (historian, numismatist).

Factual description of the design: the twelve stars of the European Union positioned around the outer circle of the coin and the issuing year ‘2004’, positioned bottom centre, surround the bust of Bartolomeo Borghesi. To the left of the bust is the inscription ‘Bartolomeo Borghesi’, and one above the other are the letter ‘R’ and the engraver's initials ‘E.L.F.’. To the right of the bust is the word ‘San Marino’.

Issuing volume: maximum 110 000 coins.

Approximate issuing period: December 2004.

(1)  See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p. 1 for a reference to all national sides that have been 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. See also Commission Recommendation of 29 September 2003 on a common practice for changes to the design of national obverse sides of euro circulation coins (OJ L 264, 15.10.2003, p. 38).