New national face of euro coins intended for circulation

(2008/C 165/03)

Euro coins intended for circulation are legal tender throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties involved who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 8 December 2003 (2), euro-area Member States and those countries that have concluded a Monetary Agreement with the Community providing for the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation are allowed to issue certain quantities of commemorative euro coins for circulation 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 national face.

Issuing country: French Republic (FR)

Subject of commemoration: French Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2008

Description of the design: The inner part of the coin features the following inscription: ‘2008 PRÉSIDENCE FRANÇAISE UNION EUROPÉENNE RF’. The currency mark and the mintmaster's mark are located below, to the left and the right respectively.

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

Number of coins to be issued: 20 million

Date of issue: July 2008

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

(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 Council (General Affairs) of 8 December 2003 on changes in the design of national faces of euro coins. See also the 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).