National side of the new commemorative 2-euro coin intended for circulation and issued by Germany

Euro coins intended for circulation have legal tender status throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 10 February 2009  (2), euro-area Member States and countries that have concluded a monetary agreement with the European Union providing for the issuing of euro coins are allowed to issue commemorative euro coins intended for circulation, provided that certain conditions are met, particularly that only the 2-euro denomination is used. These coins have the same technical characteristics as other 2-euro coins, but their national face features a commemorative design that is highly symbolic in national or European terms.

Issuing country: Germany

Subject of commemoration: 35 years of German unity

Description of the design: The national side features a typographic design: the right-aligned words ‘Wir sind ein Volk’ (‘We are one people’) are positioned, one on top of the other, to the left of a slightly off-centre vertical axis. The words ‘35 Jahre Deutsche Einheit’ (‘35 years of German unity’) are left-aligned on the right-hand side. The two blocks of text are offset slightly along the vertical axis and are bordered by horizontal lines at the top and bottom. The two texts are connected by a slightly enlarged ‘D’ in the middle.

By offsetting the two blocks of text, the design alludes to a once-divided Germany, while the shared letter ‘D’ underscores that the populations of the former East and West Germanys have now been unified for 35 years. Despite the coin’s deceptively simple design, it nonetheless invites a range of associations, including the fall of the wall suggested by the bisected lines.

The upper part of the coin’s inner circle also features the initials of the artist, Hattingen-based Thomas Serres (‘TS’), and beneath the initials the mint mark of the respective mint (‘A’, ‘D’, ‘F’, ‘G’ or ‘J’). At the bottom of the coin’s inner ring is the year of issue ‘2025’ and above it Germany’s issuing country code ‘D’.

The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Estimated number of coins to be issued: 30 000 000

Date of issue: September 2025

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

(2)  See the conclusions of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 10 February 2009 and the Commission Recommendation of 19 December 2008 on common guidelines for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation (OJ L 9, 14.1.2009, p. 52).