New national side of 2-euro coins intended for circulation

(2008/C 246/06)

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 issuing of euro coins intended for circulation are allowed to issue certain quantities of commemorative euro coins for circulation, 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: Finland

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

Description of the design: The inner part of the coin shows a human figure seen through a heart-shaped hole in a stone wall. The text ‘HUMAN RIGHTS’ is inscribed under the heart. The year mark ‘2008’ is engraved above the heart. The indication of the issuing country ‘FI’, the letter ‘K’ (initial of the artist Tapio Kettunen) and the mintmark appear at the bottom of the design.

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

Maximum number of coins to be issued: 1 500 000 coins

Approximate date of issue: October 2008

Edge lettering: ‘SUOMI FINLAND ***’, where the * stands for a lion head.

(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 2003/734/EC of 29 September 2003 on a common practice for changes to the design of national sides of euro circulation coins (OJ L 264, 15.10.2003, p. 38).