New national side of euro coins intended for circulation

(2022/C 145/07)

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

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: Slovenia

Subject of commemoration: The 150th anniversary of the birth of architect Jože Plečnik

Description of the design: The design shows a detail of the grand window of the National and University library’s reading room with a pillar in front of it. It is supplemented with a composition of letters A R H. P L E Č N I K. These letters are built into the window in exact order and can be metaphorically read as the architect’s signature, which is actually exhibited in his own work. The letters are inserted into deepened window openings and can be understood (in the language of architect Plečnik) as spatial architectural interventions, as emphases, inserted into façade or as geometrically designed objects. The whole composition displays an idea of space that reflects the wealth of the architect’s ideas. It is centred around the main pillar, which has a role to mark the coin’s space and set the ratio outside – inside or front – back, one of Plečnik’s common gestures when designing space. With that, the composition becomes a spatial miniature, space within space, multi-layered and mystical. At the bottom, the inscription “JOŽE PLEČNIK«. At the left, vertically, the year ‘1872’. At the right, vertically, the country of issuance ‘SLOVENIJA’ and underneath the year of issuance ‘2022’.

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

Number of coins to be issued: 1 000 000

Date of issue: January 2022

(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).