New national face of euro coins intended for circulation

(2008/C 125/05)

Euro coins intended for circulation are legal tender throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties involved who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 8 December 2003 (2), euro-area Member States and those countries that have concluded a Monetary Agreement with the Community providing for the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation are allowed to issue certain quantities of commemorative euro circulation coins on condition that not more than one new coin design is issued per country per year and that only the 2-euro denomination is used. These coins have the technical features of normal euro circulation coins, but bear a commemorative design on the national side.

Issuing country: Belgium

Subject of commemoration: 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Description of the design: The inner part of the coin depicts curved lines around a rectangle marked with the figure 60. The year 2008 is inscribed above the rectangle and the words ‘UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS’ underneath it. The name of the country is inscribed in a semi-circle below the design in its three official languages. ‘BELGIE — BELGIQUE — BELGIEN’. The mintmark and the signature mark of the Master of the Mint appear to the left and right of the design respectively.

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

Number of coins to be issued: 5 million

Date of issue: April-May 2008

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

(1)  See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p. 1 for the national sides of all the coins issued in 2002.

(2)  See the conclusions of the Council (General Affairs) of 8 December 2003 on changes in the design of national sides of euro coins. See also the 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).