NEW NATIONAL SIDE OF EURO CIRCULATION COINS

(2004/C 321/03)

National side of the new 2-euro commemorative circulation coin issued by the Vatican City State

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 anyone required to handle coins in the course of their work and the public at large. In accordance with the 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 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 obverse national side.

Issuing State: Vatican City State

Subject of commemoration: 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the Vatican City State

Factual description of the design: The inner part shows a schematic representation of the perimeter walls of the Vatican City with St Peter's Basilica in the foreground. The inscriptions ‘75o ANNO DELLO STATO’ and ‘1929-2004’ appear around the left- and upper right-hand edges of the inner part. To the bottom left, in smaller letters, is the name of the author ‘VEROI’ and the initials of the engraver ‘L.D.S. INC.’. The twelve stars of the European Union and the inscription ‘CITTA' DEL VATICANO’ are positioned around the outer circle.

Issue volume: max. 100 000 coins

Approximate issue period: from 15 December 2004.

(1)  See OJ C 373 of 28.12.2001, pp. 1-30 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. 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 of 15.10.2003, p. 38-39).