New national side of euro coins intended for circulation
(2020/C 49/10)
National side of the new commemorative 2-euro coin intended for circulation and issued by Belgium
Euro coins intended for circulation have legal tender status throughout the euro area. For 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 issuance of euro coins are authorised to issue commemorative euro coins intended for circulation, provided that certain conditions are met, one of these being 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: Belgium
Subject of commemoration: International Year of Plant Health 2020 (IYPH 2020)
Description of the design: The inner part of the piece depicts the official logo of the IYPH 2020 that symbolises leaves and the text ‘International year of plant health’. The leaves represent healthy plants as the source of the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat and all life on earth. This positive image of leaves protected from deadly pests and diseases forms a circle, which represents the world and underlines how plant health and protection is a global issue. Plant health is the key to ending hunger, reducing poverty, protecting the environment and boosting economic development.
As the Royal Dutch Mint will strike the coins, the mintmark of Utrecht, a mercury staff is located on the right. The Belgian mint director mintmark, the coat of arms of the municipality Herzele is located on the left. The country code BE and the year mark 2020 are located on the bottom.
The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.
Number of coins to be issued: 755 000 coins
Date of issue: February 2020
(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).