NEW NATIONAL SIDE OF EURO CIRCULATION COINS

(2004/C 313/03)

National side of the new EUR 2 commemorative circulation coin issued by the Italian Republic

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 EUR 2 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: Italian Republic

Subject of commemoration: Fifth decade of the World Food Programme

Factual description of the design: The foreground shows the globe, tilted to the right and bearing the inscription ‘WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME’, from which emerges an ear of wheat, an ear of maize and an ear of rice, the three grains representing the world's basic sources of nourishment. To the right of the globe is the I superimposed on an R denoting ‘Repubblica Italiana’, below which there appears a smaller combination of the letters U and P, the initials of the engraver, Uliana Pernazza. To the upper left of the globe there appears the mint mark ‘R’ and under the globe the year mark ‘2004’. The 12 stars of the European Union are positioned around the outer circle.

Issue volume: maximum 16 million coins

Approximate issue period: from 15 December 2004

(1)  See OJ C 373 of 28.12.2001, pages 1 to 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, 15.10.2003, p. 38).