10.12.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 315/8

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

GERMANY

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

EIRE

Legends: éıre/AEA1999-2009 EMU

Mintmark: None

Issuing volume: 5 million maximum

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

GREECE

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 ★

SPAIN

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

FRANCE

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

ITALY

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

CYPRUS

Legends: ΚΥΠΡΟΣ KIBRIS/ΟΝΕ 1999-2009

Mintmark: None

Issuing volume: 1 million

Edge lettering: ‘2 ΕΥΡΩ 2 EURO’ repeated twice

LUXEMBOURG

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

MALTA

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 ★

AUSTRIA

Legends: REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH/WWU 1999-2009

Mintmark: None

Issuing volume: 5 million

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

PORTUGAL

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

SLOVENIA

Legends: SLOVENIJA/EMU 1999-2009

Mintmark: None

Issuing volume: 1 million

Edge lettering: SLOVENIJA, followed by an engraved dot

SLOVAKIA

Legends: SLOVENSKO/HMÚ 1999-2009

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

Issuing volume: 2,5 million

Edge lettering: SLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA, followed by three symbols: star — linden leaf — star

FINLAND

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

(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).